Oh god what the f! And other increadable tales
by Ruinedbloodshed
Summary: Stories dedicated to my transformers OCs original character Wildfire and Tek and my brain twin's OC Zack. All stories are OC centric but there are plenty of cannon bots and their stories mixed in. Most will be rather funny, and all will be KICKASS!
1. An introduction

Oh my GOD what the FUCK?! And other incredible tales.

An introduction.

These are stories dedicated to my transformers OCs (original character) Wildfire and Tek and my brain twin's OC Zack.

These stories are set in my own mish mash of universes ideals with aspects of G1, moive and others sprinkled in. They are also in no chronological order. All stories are OC centric but there are plenty of cannon bots and their stories mixed in. Most will be rather funny, and all will be KICKASS!

Wildfire- Ford Mustang, blood red with black flames: Wildfire is a mysterious fembot from the outer reaches of the known universe. Her and her twin brother Tek have the unique ability to shape shift both their bipedal and vehicle form as well as color to whatever they please. Wildfire herself is a very angry bot that doesn't get along well with anyone and is constantly driving others away from her. She is a remarkable warrior with training in multiple disciplines as well as skill sets. She is an all around mystery.

Tek- Chevy Corvette, Navy blue with black racing stripes: Tek is the ultimate computer wiz and the Autobot's chief computer officer (AKA hacker). Tek is the exact opposite of his passionate and unpredictable sister. He is quiet and reserved, forfeiting emotion for logic. He is quite shy and utterly inept at dealing with anything outside the realm of reason such as socializing. Much like Dr. Brenon from the tv show Bones, which happens to be a favorite of his.

Zack- Ford Ranger (pick up truck), solid black: The former Decepticon scout/spy plays his cards close to his chest. Untrusted by all of the Autobots but Prime he is an outsider and loner. Zack keeps to himself and is shrouded in mystery that no one is interested in finding out. He loves himself almost as much as Sunstreaker. (more later)

Jessy (Jess) Penderson- A rouge government agent that has been genetically experimented on in her time with a shadowy government agency. Her chance meeting with Wildfire (and Wildfire destroying her original mustang the she scaned) freed her from the control of the man called "the director" who was controlling her life. She has since become the fembot's second (if smaller) shadow and the human-cybertronian liaison for the Autobots.

Captian Alison "AJ" Johnson- An air force captain who's obtained "ownership" of Zack is still a mystery. Though a very funny story I'm sure. (more later)


	2. Not even energon bars can hold the FAIL

This was born from text messages between me an my brain twin. I don't know what happened… all I know is that it was funny.

Like every other time, they had no idea what started the argument. All that mattered (or could be remembered) was that something had been said that was offensive. And then, as humans say, it was on.

"What? So you're too much of a prude to cruise for it?"

"I just think private things should be kept private."

"Too bad the lambo's don't feel the same way."

"Oh so that's the rumor now?"

"That's what you call the screams coming from your room?"

"There has not, and never will be, _screams_ coming from my room."

Wildfire and Zack walked their way back from patrolling the area around the Ark. Normally they would have been driving, or more accurately racing, back to base, but the recent rain had rendered Zack absolutely unable to drive. The possible damage to his shinny black paint was too much of a risk. Wildfire tossed her head in a circle while shuttering her optics. It was the closest thing she had come up with to mime a human "eye roll."

"At least your gettin' some from them cuz you sure as hell aren't gettin' anything from THIS set of twins."

"I am not getting anything from the lambos. But even if I was you can't fool me. You know want me."

Wildfire's red head snapped to the side to look at the black truck with a mix of shock and fury. The fem had to curb the urge to punch the mech right in the face. She didn't want to spend the night in the brig… again.

"I'm sorry? What happed to Mr. Prude? You know, besides a death wish?"

"You started it." The tuck transformer smiled coyly.

"I wouldn't even consider even touching you if you where the last mech in the UNIVERCE. And if you where, I'd kill myself."

Zack put his clawed hands over his chest plating and melodramatically wailed.

"Oh! How you wound me! I can no longer function because of you harsh rejection! Oh great Primus here I come!"

"Who the pit do you think you are?" Wildfire snapped. "Romeo? Oh wait, Romeo couldn't get laid either and he killed himself. Yeah, you're Romeo." The red sports car sneered.

"Clever!" Zack barked. "But trust me; I'd rather die single before even thinking of you."

"HA! But you WOULD think of me! Disgusting."

"As if! You're the must unappealing, ugly, repugnant smelter rejected waste of metal that I have ever had the misfortune of knowing."

"You know," Wildfire grinned evilly. "The humans say if you're mean to someone that just means you secretly like them! I guess you really loooooooove me!"

"Blegh!" Zack said with a scoff.

As they approached the entrance to their kind's home base Wildfire's twin brother was waiting for them.

"You know Wildfire, with all the taunting you do to Zack the same could be said about your feelings for him."

Wildfire stared at her brother who had no doubt been listening into their conversation via the open comlink. She really wanted to be able to pop her brother in the face for that one. Tek, being his normal, socially inept self didn't understand what he had implied. He simply fallowed the logic Wildfire had set forth.

"AH HA! I see someone is a pot calling the kettle black."

"Please! Tek just watches way too much Dr. Phil!"

"Sure, sure. Make up some excuses. It won't change anyone's opinion now." Zack said smugly, pleased with himself.

"Dr. Phil makes quite a few astute observations, but I fail to see how that…" Tek started innocently.

"Tek shut your mouth before you say something that really pisses me off."

"Aw, I love you too pookie!" Zack mocked. He then very quickly had to dodge a fist to the face.

"That's it, I'm petitioning Prime again to let murder be legal." Wildfire grumbled as the three of them headed inside to report to Prowl.

"If only!" Zack sighed, almost wistfully. "But all he'll do is stick us in the brig to cool off for a while. But I'm sure you'd like being locked up with me wouldn't you cupcake?"

"That's it. I guess I'll just have to do murder the illegal way!"

Zack barely missed having his head sliced off by one of Wildfire's swords.

"Holy Frag!" Zack said as he grabbed the fem's wrists and grappled her to the floor.

Tek merely looked back over his doorwings that gave an irritated flick.

"HELP! I'm too good looking to die! Hey watch the paint!"

"Watch this!" Wildfire nearly stabbed the mech's shoulder armor taking off a long streak of black coloring.

"Ahhhhh! Not the paint job! NOT THE PAINT JOB!"

"Optimus! Wildfire and Zack are fighting… again." Tek monotoned as he opened the door to the main briefing room.

Optimus Prime, Prowl and Jazz all looked up from what they were doing to watch Tek sidestep from the doorway and see a tangle of black and red shouting Decepticon curses at eachother. Optimus bowed his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose with a thumb and forefinger.

"Oh Primus what did I ever do to deserve this? … Prowl, Jazz. Could you escort these two to the brig yet again?"

"Yes sir." Prowl sighed.

"No problem Optimus." Jazz grinned.

The two lieutenants quickly moved out into the hall, and after a brief struggle the two warriors were separated. They were both missing some paint and sported a few dents, but other than that they were unharmed and in Zack's case, alive. Prowl helped the truck to his feet as Jazz pinned the wild fem's arms behind her back.

"Salvation! I survive to look at myself in the mirror another day! My looks live on!"

"March solider." Prowl huffed. "If you keep this up you two will SHARE a cell."

Zack made a surprised squeak at the blatant cruelty in the second in command's threat. Jazz smiled as he marched the still angry fem down to the bowls of the ship.

"Aw Prowl." Wildfire said with a little laugh. "I didn't know you had such a dark sense of humor."

"Humor?" Zack scoffed as Prowl walked alongside him. "I think cruelty is the operative word.

"Come on, you lovebirds. Knock it off." Jazz giggled.

"Don't think I won't turn on you Jazz." Wildfire hissed. "Don't ever say that again!"

"Threan'nin a superior officer Wildfire?" Jazz grinned. "I think that just earned yourself extra time.

"Whatever. As long as I can share a cell with Zack all will be well. I mean the lambo's will get their afts thrown in there soon enough. I'm just trying to save room."

"Don't listen to her!" Zack yelled. "I can share a cell with the twins!"

The group arrived at the brig and the two officers separated the two bots into different cells. Once she was inside Wildfire's cell hummed and glowed reddish orange. She had slipped through normal bars too many times and now was relegated to the high security cell. However, their cells where still side by side and should Zack get too close to Wildfire's cell he would be putting his life in danger. When the doors were locked Zack turned around and hooked his hands around the bars of the door.

"Don't leave me leave me here with her! She's fraggin' crazy!"

Prowl put his hands on his hip joints and shook his head.

"You two need to learn to get along anyways. You'll stay here together until you can tolerate each other."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

Prowl sighed and waved Jazz out the door. Jazz happily bounded after the police datsun leaving both the truck and mustang to their misery. Zack slummed against the bars.

"I hate mustangs." He grumbled to himself. "At least with the lambos I can get out of this without damage… relatively anyways."

Wildfire paced up and down her side of shared engeron bars of their cells keeping her optics locked on Zack. For quite a long time the angry transformer paced like a cadged lioness. The flamed bot's temper undiminished by confinement. Zack finally gave into his fate and released his hold on the bars to slump against the bars farthest away from the pissed fembot.

"I'm doomed I guess." Zack said heavily. "You're planning on killing me the minute RedAlert is distracted… I know it."

Wildfire didn't bother answering him right away when he already knew what she was going to say anyways.

"All I need is one little old Con attack." She finally snarled. "Where are those damn seekers when you actually want them?"

Zack took up residents in his favorite corner (the one farthest away from Wildfire) and not so secretly whished for the cons to attack some random place far away.

"Please Megatron send someone to attack so I can get out of here. Please oh PLEASE!"

The farther away the better. If the Autobots had to leave in a hurry they might just forget them down here and Zack, and his exterior, could stay behind bars and well out of reach of a crazy mustang. On top of that they probably wouldn't have to listen to Prime or Prowl give them a lecture on friendship, teamwork and another load of useless slag.

The hours dragged by slowly. Minutes turned into hours. Hours to days. Wildfire gave up pacing a long time ago, or maybe it was only a minute, and sat down in the middle of her cadge. What seemed like years dragged on and on through the brig with no hope of Decepticon attack or appearance of the Lamborghinis to spice up the boredom. After what seemed a millennia Zack finally broke the silence.

"This… is just a train of fail." Zack grunted from his corner.

The black flamed mustang rolled onto her side (when she had laid down Zack didn't know) to fix the truck with a board stare.

"Well YOUR are the conductor of the fail train."


	3. Chess Match

Poor Tek! He doesn't get nearly enough love! He's so sweet and cute I just want to hug him and tell him everything is going to be alright! For those of you that have seen the show "Bones" Tek is very much like Temperance Brennan. He is very bright, very gifted but more than a little sheltered. And as you read, you'll see he's also a bit Claustrophobic. I don't know why I'm so mean to him! Enjoy!

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Tek walked into the common room of the Ark hoping to slip in and out unnoticed by either Ratchet or his sister. When they caught him sneaking back to work during his off hours it was most unproductive having to sit through their lectures. The chief medic was nowhere to be seen and for now Wildfire wasn't around. The icy blue corvette took quick stock of the room before he entered. There was a semi-large group around one of the tables that all looked to be interested in whatever was happening at the table. Tek quietly slipped in and made a beeline for the energon dispenser. His goal was to grab his ration and make it back to his office to finish up some more reports before he could be seen. His hand was on his cube and he was turning on his heel when the group of mechs erupted in cheers and groans.

"Better luck next time Bluestreak."

Tek was surprised to hear Prowl's voice coming from the table.

"I practiced and everything! Every day! Ok well not every day, I totally took a few brakes to play some videogames but most of the time I was practicing!"

"It's cool Blue, Prowl's just the best at this game." Jazz patted Bluestreak on the shoulder.

Tracks just happened to look up at the moment the Autobot computer expert was trying to sneak past them.

"Oh hey! It's the rare and elusive Tek!" He said brightly.

Tek would have cursed but he was in the presents of two higher ranking officers and cursing was for uneducated and classless. The third in command, Jazz, parted the gathered crowd and waved the hacker over. He had been caught.

"Come join the party Tek man!"

"I'd hardly call this a party…" Mirage drawled from his place behind a fidgeting Bluestreak.

"Ok, then game night." Jazz corrected. "Come on over."

"I must decline." Tek said politely. "I have some work to finish."

"Aw, come on." Hound said with a cheery smile. "Prowl's here so that can't be the most important work in the universe."

Had Wildfire been there she would have said Jazz's face lit up like Christmas tree. Tek knew a very similar look well. It meant the saboteur had come up with a devious idea. Now any hope of escape was gone.

"We've got the two brightest minds in the known universe here, why don't we have a little chess showdown?" He said with a smile.

"A what?" Tek inquired. He was still adapting to human vernacular patterns, and they where most confusing, even more so when Jazz's accent colored the sentence.

"Jazz…" Prowl said folding his hands on top of the table. "This isn't a battle. It's a game."

"Of course of course!" Jazz said flippantly with a wave of his hand.

"Come on Tek!" Bluestreak said happily jumping up from his seat. "Show em' what you got!"

"Show em'…" Tek repeated confused. "What I've got? What do I have that needs to be shown?"

The group of mechs that had been standing around the table gravitated towards Tek with smiling faces. To Tek they could have been a swarm of incecticons. Tek's doorwings did a quick flick of discomfort as his comrades seemed to force him into the center of attention with their presents. They made a circle around him to cut off his retreat. Tek felt a twinge of panic tingle through his processor.

"I must refuse the offer." Tek said a little breathlessly.

He did his best to take a step back and get some space without tending on anyone's peds.

"I must be somewhere else."

"Are you just making excuses because you don't know how to play chess?"

Tek had to look down at Bumblebee who was smiling up at him skeptically. He hadn't notices the little spy before. The hacker took a step back from the mini bot as his wings started to inch up his back.

"I am knowledgeable of human game play." Tek said quickly.

"Are you going to let a Dantsun damage the reputation of us Corvettes?" Tek whirled around to face Tracks behind him.

"No I…" Tek's optics got a little wider as he sidestepped away from Tracks.

"Are you implying something about Datsuns Tracks?" Smokescreen asked folding his arms.

Smokescreen arm brushed against one of Tek's doorwings and the blue Corvette spun around. Now his wings made a clear "v" shape and his slim fingers started to shake.

"Definitely not!" The blue and red corvette shrugged with shrug.

Tek's processor reeled at the closeness and vast numbers of mechs around him. He felt trapped with no way out. His fellow Autobots seemed to press in on him forcing him into a smaller and smaller space. Tek's vents noisily tried to expel the building heat his body.

"P-please, I j-just…" Tek stuttered, and he never stuttered.

"Spill it Tek." Jazz teased. "Why don't you want to play?"

The hacker adjusted himself trying to put some space between himself and the rest of the bots but there was nowhere to go. Tek's vents began to hiccup frantically as he started to tremble.

"Give Tek some space."

Everyone turned when Prowl spoke up from the table. The black and white tactician looked at Tek and waved him over to the table. The circle of bots parted for Tek to get to the table. He quickly stepped to the table but did not sit. Prowl nodded at him and Tek dipped his head a little as his doorwings relaxed some of their tension. He thanked Primus that Prowl was there.

"Come on little guy." Jazz said leaning up against the table between the two officers. "It's just a little old game of chess."

"I've been advised against playing." Tek said finally after he had calmed down.

"Come on, one little game isn't going to hurt anybody." Jazz hounded him.

Tek's lips twisted into a shadow of a frown. The correct approximation of "hurt" would be 98.2 percent against causing harm to his opponent. He didn't want to take the chance however small.

"I must reiterate, I've been advised against instances of such nature."

"Oh I get it," Jazz teased, "You think your too good for o' Prowl don't ya?"

The statement was followed by confusing "oohs" and a patronizing "oh no he didn't!" from the gathered crowd. Tek didn't like the illogical statements of all around him when he simply refused to play a game.

"Negative. I was not implying my skills should not be taken into account in such a way to draw conclusions for a comparison. I am simply relaying that it is not in my best interest to partake in a competition."

"So you see this as a competition do you?" Prowl asked mildly.

"Yes I do."

All the gathered mechs turned in surprise at him. They hadn't expected that out of Tek's mouth.

"You do?" Prowl asked slightly surprised as well.

"The very nature of games is competition," Tek said plainly. "and I do not respond… favorably… in a competitive atmosphere."

"I doubt that." Jazz laughed. "Come on just one game. Prowl hasn't had a challenge in a couple million years."

"Don't pressure him Jazz." Prowl scolded. "If he doesn't want to he doesn't want to."

Jazz clapped a hand on Tek's shoulder and made him take the seat opposite of Prowl. After he was unceremoniously plunked down in the seat the hacker tilted his head off to the side as if considering what he should do next. He gave his commanding officer a questioning look.

"Please Tek," Prowl said spreading his hands in an apologetic gesture. "Don't feel inclined to give into Jazz. He simply wants there to be drama to gossip about."

"If it will bring enjoyment to others I must acquiesce." Tek adjusted himself in his chair.

"Stop gabbing the both of you!" The saboteur reset the playing board, setting the white chess pieces before Prowl and the black in front of Tek.

"Ok you two now play nice. And GO!"

Prowl's white set gave him the first move and he moved a pawn forward with seemingly little thought. Tek stayed frozen in place, his optics glued to the board. The minutes clawed by with no move at all from Tek, not even the twitching of a single servo. The crowd, who all knew that these things could take a while, started exchanging looks. As more time dragged by even Prowl was starting to question if Tek was still with them. Jazz finally got frustrated enough to wave his hand in front of Tek's optics.

"Helloooo? Any bot home in there Tek?"

It didn't appear to register and the hacker still refused to move. When main door swished open the simple noise grabbed everyone's attention except the two chess players. Wildfire walked in the door studying a datapad without bothering to look up. The red mustang sauntered over to the energon dispenser and grabbed a cube at first not noticing that everyone was staring at her. She must have felt the stares of so many optics because she paused halfway back to the door and then looked over at the would be game watchers.

"Oooooh crap." She started. "I don't care what the twins say… I did NOT switch the cold hot knobs in the wash racks. That was all them."

"I'm sure we'll all keep that in mind later." Jazz said getting up off the table he had resorted to leaning on. "But uh… I think we broke your brother."

"Broke him?" Wildfire said giving Jazz a puzzled look.

"We invited him to play a game of chess with Prowl and he hasn't moved in like… half an hour."

Wildfire cocked her head to the side and waved the assembled crowd to the side. When she reached her twin she looked both him and the game board over. It didn't take too long for her to laugh.

"Oh no, he isn't broken. He's just thinking." Wildfire said taking a quick swig of her cube.

"Thinking?" Jazz repeated. "This whole time? Geez I thought only Prowl could think that much."

"It's because of Prowl he's thinking so much. If it where anyone else Tek would have slaughtered them already." She grinned a little knowing smirk.

"Wildfire please." Tek chided after half an hour of silence.

"Sorry, didn't mean to spoil the surprise bro."

"Inferring that I would inflict harm upon…"

"Figure of speech Tek." Wildfire over road her brother's sentence. "Can you please move this along? The rest of us have lives to get back to."

"I need four point five minutes before an opening action can be implemented."

"You heard the mech." Wildfire said turning and walk past the gathered Autobots. "Call me if one of them goes into stasislock."

The Mustang then made her way over to the couch and plopped herself down seeming uninterested in the game itself. Her attention was back to her data pad in moments. The agreed upon four and a half minutes passed quickly and for all that build up and wait it was a simple move. Tek just placed a pawn forward. Mirage made a sarcastic "wooo" sound and gesture with his finger as Tek motioned for Prowl to make his next move. The Datsun eyed his opponent a bit more carefully after his sister's little insight. True, Tek was probably the most brilliant mech he'd ever worked with but he surely didn't possess the experience for a strategic war with a time tested tactician. Just in case, Prowl decided to test him. The Datsun made a move that would momentarily leave him venerable just to see how the youngling would react.

Tek surprised everyone by making his move the instant Prowl's fingers left his pawn. The hacker bypassed the trap Prowl had set up and instead ignored the exposed pawn to move his own on the opposite side of the board.

"T-Tek!" Bluestreak sputtered. "You could have captured that!"

"Chill Blue." Jazz smiled. "I'm sure Tek had a good reason."

Prowl took a moment to reanalyze his strategy before he moved another pawn into position. Tek made his move on the heels of Prowl's who then returned the lightning fast move with his own. The gathered group watched the high-speed game with absolute fascination. No one had ever seen a chess game progress at this pace. One after the other both color pieces were captured. After Prowl took one of Tek's bishops the tactician folded his hands with a small smile.

"I believe that is check Tek."

"Haha!" Jazz giggled. "You rhymed Prowl."

"It indeed is check." Tek concurred. "However…"

Tek picked up his queen and placed it before Prowl's king. The Datsun simply stared at his subordinate.

"This is cheek mate."

Everyone gathered shared a collective gasp.

"No WAY!" Bumblebee breathed.

Tek didn't wear a condescending smirk as he quietly set his hands on the table. He was his ever clam and reserved self. He looked nothing like one would expect the bot who had just bested the greatest Autobot tactician to look like. Prowl's grin actually got a little wider as he laid his king on his side, making it official that he had been beaten. Tracks, Hound and Smokescreen erupted in cheers and patted Tek shoulder so hard the smaller bot was crushed into the chair.

"OH MY PRIMUS!" Bluestreak was literally bouncing up and down at Tek's elbow. "That was AMAZING! How did you do it?! I bet you practice all the time! You're so smart Tek! I wish I could be as smart as you and Prowl! Oh man Prowl must so angry right now! No one has ever beaten him at chess! Well chess is an Earth game and we haven't been here long but strategy games back home! No one ever beat Prowl at those! This one time…!"

"Easy Blue." Jazz said clapping a hand over Bluestreak's mouth. "Cognates Tek man! You've done the impossible."

"Thankyou." Tek said.

Tek hadn't made optic contact with his mentor for the duration of the game. He in fact found he was nervous to look at the black and white. Tek didn't know what to expect from the bot he looked up to. Emotions where not something he had a firm grasp of. For all he knew Prowl could be angry that a meager computer officer had got the best of him. Tek didn't think he would be able to reconcile with himself if Prowl decided to no longer associate with him. Meekly Tek raised his optics to finally look at Prowl. To his relief Prowl was smiling at him.

"Well played." Prowl said.

"AWWW!!" Jazz slung his arm around Prowl's neck and pulled the tactician into a hug. "Someone's proud of his little padawan!"

"Get off me." Prowl grumbled.

"What is a "padawan?" Tek asked.

Wildfire gave Jazz a light slug on the shoulder before standing at her brother's side.

"I haven't worked him up to watching Star Wars yet Jazz. Don't make him lock up on me, that's the last thing I need."

"Since the game has been concluded…" Tek started to stand. "I will be on my way…"

He was stopped by a red hand on his shoulder.

"And since you're not doing anything…" Wildfire grinned. "Jazz has just reminded me that there are a few movies you need to watch."

Tek knew that there was nothing he could do now.

"If you will excuse me sirs," Tek said dipping his head in respect. "It seems I have somewhere else to be."

"Oooo! What movies are you going to watch?" Jazz asked.

"And give away the surprise for Tek?" Wildifre grinned. "No way, besides they won't be nearly as much fun as what you have planned I'm sure."

Jazz gave the fembot a little knowing smirk. Wildfire then steered her brother out through the congratulatory crowd of bots without trouble. Once they were out in the hall and out of audio rang Wildfire elbowed her brother in the side.

"Look at you playing games like a normal bot. I noticed you didn't totally destroy Prowl. Are you going soft on the competition?"

Tek shook his head and sighed. His sister didn't understand.

"The situation was delicate."

"Yeah right."

"He is my superior officer. Should I have… "destroyed" him like you felt I should have that could create conflict. Something, unlike you, I would rather avoid."

"Well next time let Prowl have it!" Wildfire smirked cracking her knuckles. "And you better call me when you do."

"Why don't you just practice and do it yourself? I've beaten you at enough games that you should know how." There was tiny little ghost of a smirk on his face plates as he said that.

"Aw how sweet." Wildfire snorted. "You only beat the slag out of me. I'm honored."


	4. Hit and Run part 1

Just incase you happen to be reading this…

To the ASSHOLE that hit my brain twin's truck and didn't leave a note, make sure everything was alright or see if there was a passenger that need help, and slunk away like a coward: FUCK YOU! If I ever find you… there will be hell to pay. And I collect interest mother fucker. This story is for you. Too bad in real life I wouldn't have giant robots to stop me from beating your ass.

This is also to my brain twin and her poor truck.

I hope this story and all it's chapters (YES! There will me more chapters) bring you a little bit of happiness/revenge.

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Wildfire and Jess where sitting at one of the rec room tables like any other day. The place was pretty packed. Most everyone was enjoying "dinner" as the day drew to a close. Jess was curiously touching Wildfire's energon cube and dipping her fingers into the liquid to see what it would do. Wildfire rested her head in her hand as she watched her human play with her food. Not that she minded, she had lost count of how often she had played with Jess's food. Which she still didn't fully trust what Jess called a "taco bell bean and cheese burrito." It had exploded in one of her optics when she had picked it up. Jess had just commented on how it felt like she had her tongue on a 9-volt battery when Wildfire felt a change in the air. The battle hardened warrior turned her head trying to get a feel of the change.

"Hey, hey! I'm talking to you Wildfi… what's wrong?"

Wildfire's hand antenna twitched back and forth trying to pin point what was disturbing the transformer.

"What is it Fire?"

"I sense a disturbance in the force." Wildfire narrowed her optics. "We should get out of here. NOW."

"But what about everyone else?" Jess protested as she was hastily gathered up in one of Wildfire's hands. "Is it a Decepticon attack? If it's that bad they should have some warning!"

"I think it's worse then that!" Wildfire banged her free hand on the table she had just vacated to get everyone's attention.

"Anyone that doesn't want to lose their heads had better get the hell out of here!"

Wildfire was met with curious stares. She decided, the PIT with them, she was getting out of the way of the storm. She was headed for the door with her human when she slid to a sudden stop. Every other bot in the room stopped what they where doing and looked up as Wildfire slowly, very slowly backed away from the exit. Zack stood in the doorway, his clawed hands digging into the metal on either side. His optics that where normally hidden behind his visor where glowing so bright that the light shown through. They made such a deep purple that they where only a shade away from black. Those dark optics turned to the human in Wildfire's palm and narrowed.

"You!" Zack snarled as he pointed a razor sharp claw at Jess. "You and your kind should rot in the pit for all eternity!"

Wildfire said nothing as she backed away from the mech. Zack pushed past the human and her protector and that's when Wildfire got them the hell out of there.

"Dude what was up with Zack?" Jess asked. "He was down right piss-in-your-pants scary! I didn't know he could do that!"

"Yeah, newsflash, we can be scary too." Wildfire huffed .

The large transformer placed her human up on her shoulder as they headed for anywhere far away from a very pissed off former Decpitcon that was irate with humans at the moment.

"Well excuse me if Zack's always "oh look at me! Look at me! I'm so pretty!"

"… Please don't ever say that again. It's creepy when you say it in that voice."

"You mean my fake voice that I use to answer the phone?" Jess said with a voice so sweet and innocent sounding the former black ops mercenary sounded like a house wife from the forties.

"Stop it. It's freaking me out. Hold on, I've got an incoming transmission."

Before Wildfire could get to it Jess pushed the button on the side of the Transformers head and answered her comlink for her.

"Thank you for calling Wildfire's personal communication frequency! How my we annihilate the Decepticon forces for you today?" The inner housewife voice surfaced again.

"Seriously knock it off Jess! That giving me the surges! …… AJ is where?! We're on our way!"

Wildfire hooked a sharp left and jogged quickly to the med bay. The double doors swished open in time to watch and hear a frustrated First Aid give up trying to bandage AJ's arm.

"OUCH! Hey I just got tossed around you think you could be a little more gentle?!"

"I'm sorry Miss AJ. I'm… I'm doing the best I can! But your kind's appendages are quite small…"

"Having some trouble there First Aid?" Wildfire asked with an amused grin.

The poor medic in training looked up at the fembot like she was there to save him from this medical nightmare. AJ was seated on the edge of one of the exanimation tables, and looked like a tiny boat in the middle of the huge ocean. Not only that but the first class aviator looked like she was getting dressed as a mummy for Halloween.

"Oh geese!" Jess leapt down off Wildfire's shoulder to the table. "Get out of here you over grown toaster!"

Jess shooed the young Protectobot away from her friend.

"Geese where you trying to bandage her up or turn her into a toilet paper roll?" Jess demanded as she got out a pocket knife and cut out swathes of extra bandages.

First Aid looked to Wildfire to enlighten him about "toilet paper." Wildfire shook her head, she didn't feel like explaining that particular, and nasty, human concept.

"You care to explain why you look like someone took a meat tenderizer to you?" Jess asked as she expertly patched up AJ's arm.

"I don't think Zack would like the new nickname. But I'm sure he feels like someone just ran him through a trash compacter." AJ mumbled.

"What happened to you guys?"

"We got Sideswiped."

"Sideswipe did this?"

"No! We GOT sideswiped. Sideswipe as a verb not a proper noun."

"What is with Cybertronions and names that happen to be human inanimate objects and or ideas?" Jess snorted. "It it's confusing in conversations."

"Tell me about it. That's why I named Zack, Zack."

"You know… that makes a lot of since. I'll remember that for next time. But you got sideswiped?"

"Well Zack took the brunt of the blow. We where sitting at a red light, just waiting when out of no where this asshole white car comes out of nowhere and totally hits us!"

"Some one HIT you guys?!"

"YEA! And then they totally just left! They didn't even stop to see if we where ok!"

"Dude!" Jess growled. "That is not ok! Did you get a plate number? A car model?"

"No," AJ shook her head. "The only thing I remember is a lot of metal crushing and feeling like I was on a roller coaster… but with pain instead of the fun and horrible picture taken of you on the final drop."

"Poor Zack, he seems to be in a really bad mood." Jess put the final tie on the bandages.

"Yeah he seemed pretty upset when Ratchet had to chase him down."

"Yeah, he said I should… what was it? Rot in the pit? Whatever that is."

"Well… that white car really totaled part of his chaises. He's super pissed that Ratchet had to replace it with a temporary patch that definitely doesn't match his paint."

"God… er… Primus… forbid. But you're ok right? No broken bones or ribs that punctured lungs?"

"Not that I know of. I'm not bleeding anywhere that I can't feel am I?"

"Perhaps she should still visit a human medical facility?" First Aid added.

Jess stood slowly and turned to the Protectobot with her hands on her hips.

"Oh you've done it now." Wildfire muttered taking a step away from the confused medic-in-training.

"Oh really?" Jess snapped. "And when where you planning on doing just that?"

"I-I… I…" First Aid stuttered.

"You had BETTER not be telling me that THIS was the extent of the medical treatment the best and brightest human Air Force pilot AND friend to the Autobot cause was going to receive! A few POORLY administered gauze wraps?! You had REALLY not be telling me this!"

"No! NO! Of course not!! I-I was just waiting f-for R-ratchet to come back…"

"MY FRIEND!" Jess yelled over the poor midibot. "Could have LIFE THREATING internal bleeding! Her organs could be ruptured or WORSE!! And YOU are going to wait for Ratchet, who is not a certified HUMAN physician, to come back and tell you something ANYONE WOULD HAVE ALREADY GUESSED?! WHAT THE HELL KIND OF MEDIC ARE YOU?!"

"I-I didn't…! I mean! I was going to…!" The unfortunate transformer stammered.

"Jess you don't have to…"

Jess turned around and winked at her friend and then turned back around to chew out the would be medic.

"What the HELL are you waiting for?!" Jess roared at First Aid.

"R-Ratchet should be h-here to take her to the hospital!!" the poor Protectobot didn't know what to do.

"I'm sorry! I thought YOU WHERE AN AMBULANCE!!"

"I-I am!"

"Then what are you waiting fore?!?! TRANSFORM AND ROLL THE FUCK OUT!!"

Confused, yelled at and now scared out of his wits First Aid transformed to his ambulance alt mode. Wildfire helped AJ off the table and into the emergency response vehicle. The moment the doors where closed the tires squealed, the sirens blared and First Aid hauled aft out of there, heading straight to the nearest hospital.

"If anything happens to her I'm going to personally remove your interfacing equipment!" Jess shouted after the fleeing ambulance.

Wildfire turned her wide optics to her human who turned to look up at her. The fembot put her hands together in a classic marshal arts hold and bowed deeply to the human.

"I have much to learn oh great teacher!" She said humbly.

"Indeed you do. Now…" Jess waved her transformer over. "We have a hit and run driver to find and bring to justice. Yessss, justice. Hand please."

Wildfire held out her hand and Jess strolled onto the palm.

"I need to have a little chat with Tek." Jess said. "To his office!" The human demanded.


	5. Hit and Run part 2

I deiced for this to be a trilogy that gets progressively shorter. Way easier then the other way around. Revenge is near at hand Brain Twin! It is near at hand!!

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Wildfire knocked on the door to her twin's office with one hand and held up Jess at "transformer eye level" with the other. She didn't know what her human had planned but she was sure Tek wasn't going to like it. When the corvette didn't appear Wildfire knocked again, this time more forcefully.

"Come in." A muffled voice answered.

Wildfire pressed the lock and the door slid away. The mustang crossed the threshold and made her way towards her brother's desk. The computer expert typed away on his keyboard with a melodious "tap tap tap" of keys. He didn't so much as turn around or pause in his work to greet them.

"Tek!" Jess said brightly as Wildfire set her down on the computer desk. "I need a favor."

"Good evening Jess." Tek said though he didn't look away form his work. "How can I be of service?"

"I need to barrow your computer."

The tapping of the keys hesitated a moment and Wildfire burst out laughing.

"That's funny Jess! Really funny! But seriously, why did you need to see Tek?"

Jess folded her arms over her chest at fixed the sibling robots with a harsh stare.

"I am being 100% serious."

Tek finally stopped working and turned his full attention to the human standing at his elbow.

"I would very much like to comply, but the security breeches alone would have us both court marshaled for sure. Red Alert has been quiet clear about his policies on security breeches. He is… how do humans say it? Not my biggest fan?"

"Yes Tek," Wildfire grumbled slinging her arm around her brother's neck. "We remember. We where there for that meeting too."

"Then you both understand why I can't help you."

"Well if I can't do the research, maybe you can." Jess said tapping her chin with a forefinger.

"What do you need information about?"

"I need to you tap into the security satellites and get me the recording of Zack's patrol shift earlier." Jess said to the big blue transformer.

Tek shook his head and shuttered his optics.

"Contrary to what Red Alert says, or perhaps believes, we do not record individual patrol shifts unless there is a good reason too."

"That lying bastered!" Wildfire snapped. "He said he'd be reviewing my patrols with Prowl!"

Tek ignored his sister's curses at the two officers for their deceit.

"What insight did you wish to gain by watching Zack's patrol?" Tek wondered.

"AJ and Zack got pummeled by a hit and run driver." Jess growled. "And I'd like to find those responsible."

"Hmmm…" Tek mused. "Where they perhaps near some kind of recording device? If the offence has been caught on tape I may be able to locate it."

Jess snapped her fingers and her face lit up with the sudden realization.

"Tek you are a genius! They got hit at an intersection! The red light cameras might have caught something."

"Complements are not required but the sentiment is appreciated. Provided that Zack didn't stray from the predetermined patrol grid I should be able to find the intersection in question in a few moments."

Tek turned back to his computer and furiously started typing away. Jess watched the computer screen explode with information.

"I've found it."

"Record time nerd." Wildfire smiled.

"I need to send a formal request to the human authorities informing them of the data I will be reviewing and as well as notify Prowl and Red Alert as to the nature of…"

Jess quickly stepped in and grabbed Tek's arm before he could start the process. The mech glanced down at her looking most confused.

"Tek, I'd like to keep this… between us." Jess said quietly.

Tek tilted his head off to the side as his head antenna swept back to show just how confused he was.

"I… don't understand miss Penderson. Informing a superior officer, or officers, is required by protocol."

"I was hopping you could… get the information without anyone having to know about it."

Both Wildfire an Tek looked down at the human who did not look like she was joking at all.

"I am still not understanding the logic of your request."

"Jess is hoping to keep this one off the books." Wildfire filled in for her brother.

"Books? Who said anything about books?" Tek said with a shake of his head.

"I mean, she wants to keep this off the records." The red mustang was starting to see what her fleshy counter part had in mind.

"I'm sorry but I can't do that. It is against regulations. Prowl would be most unhappy and I'm sure I will never hear the end of Red Alert's rant."

"Look… I don't want to drag you into this Tek. Please just do this. If not for me, then for Zack and AJ." Jess begged.

Tek's head antenna moved back and forth as he uncomfortably squirmed under Jess's intense gaze. Wildfire leaned on her brother's shoulder and gave the other a little pat.

"I'll take the heat if anything goes wrong. You can away say that I forced you to do it." Wildfire told her brother.

After a few uncertain moments Tek's vents sighed.

"A-alright. This could take a few moments to get around the security fire walls without begin detected or traced."

"Thanks Tek!"

Jess hugged Tek's arm while Wildfire gave one of her brother's door wings and affectionate tweak.

"We've got all night." Jess said. "We've got alllll night."

~!~!~!~!~

AJ did NOT like hospitals. They made you where those stupid hospital gowns that tied in the back and let the world see your behind. Not to mention the food. She wouldn't have tolerated any of it if First Aid wasn't as dead set that she stay overnight for a battery of tests to make sure she was alright as he was. The ambulance meant well but this was a little much. AJ finished packing her stuff into bag and was ready to go home! One night stay in a hospital was enough thank you very much! She snuck out to the parking lot avoiding any doctors that wanted to run a few extra tests. First Aid was waiting for her. AJ hopped into the passenger seat feeling absolutely fine.

"Did your test results come back?" First Aid asked quickly. "Where they favorable?"

"Yes Aid…" AJ sighed buckling her seatbelt. "I am perfectly healthy."

"No internal bleeding? None of your vital organs are in danger?"

"No and no. Can I please just get home?"

"They checked for infections?"

AJ was just about to slam her forehead on the dashboard in frustration.

"Frist Aid… they ran every… signal… test… EVER! Besides needing more iron in my diet and less stress I am the very picture of a healthy human being. I'm a little sore but I just need some rest."

"Did the human doctors check into your soreness?! That could be a symptom of something worse! I think you should go back so they can run tests for that."

"Aid… either you take me back to the Ark right now or I will walk back myself."

"Alright alright. But if you feel out of sorts, anything at all, I'll get you back here so fast whatever is wrong with you won't have time to do any permanent damage!"

AJ sighed and put her head in her hands. She was going to have a little chat with Jess for putting her though this. After about and hour of First Aid puting along at thirty miles an hour AJ was on her last nerve and Jess was going to be in some serious shit when she got home. And that wasn't even the worst part of the trip. After an unbearably slow ride First Aid promptly brought her to the medbay for Ratchet to check up on her. Try as she might, AJ found that one could not lock herself inside an Autobot. Unfortunately they could control the locks.

AJ slumped against the door after she was finally released to Zack's quarters and knocked. She just wanted to sleep, she didn't care where.

'Go away!" Snapped the grumpy mech.

"ZaaaaaAAaaack!" AJ whined. "Let me in! If I have to go through one more bloody test I'm going to go postal and kill everyone!"

There was a grumble and some heavy thumps fallowed by the door swishing open. AJ didn't bother saying hello and didn't care about anything but curling up and sleeping.

"Where's my blanket?" AJ asked.

Zack grumbled somewhere in the background of AJ consciousness as she tried to scramble up onto his berth. Zack helped her up and presented her with the blanket she kept in his room for times when she needed sleep. As she got comfortable Zack sat down next to her.

"Are you alright?" he ask softy. "Your acting weird."

"Need sleep. Keep crazy doctors away form me!"


	6. Hit and Run part 3 final

Zack grumbled to himself as he looked at his reflection. His blade like fingers lightly touched the discolored metal on his right shoulder and chest. Ratchet was a great medic and a first rate surgeon but fixing dented armor wasn't high up on his list of emergencies. Zack growled quietly, not wanting to wake AJ up from her impromptu nap. Everyone thought he was vain for no reason. But did he really NEED a reason to think himself beautiful? Human females got to do it all the time. Most mechs wouldn't admit it but they loved their exteriors just as much as he did.

Truth be told, but not that he would ever actually tell anyone, Zack had a deeper reason to love his reflection. A long time ago he had been the enemy, a Decepticon. He had done terrible things as Duskstrike. Things that where unforgivable, but that mech was dead and gone. Zack had been born from the ashes; his imagine reworked to shed any remnant of his former life. When Zack looked in the mirror he saw that he had won the struggle he went through every day. He saw the perfection he wanted to obtain in the bright, flawless armor that adorned him. For him, to be tarnished in any way was like he was reverting back to his old ways. He felt defective and tainted. Zack wanted to be back to perfection as soon as possible and leave old memories that where bubbling up in the past. This "off grey" patch Ratchet had left him with clashed with his dark black armor. It made him look like some kind of glitch that couldn't paint himself. Besides the enormous indignity he suffered at the hands of a human car the embarrassment was insufferable. All the Autobots where whispering behind his back, he knew it. They always seemed to get a thrill when one of the best looking mechs had some go wrong with their looks.

In the middle of a particularly obscene Cybertronion curse against the entirety of the human race his comlink buzzed. Zack ignored it with a snort of annoyance, but after a few long minutes it appeared that the bot hailing his frequency was intent on reaching him.

"There had better be a fraggn' good reason you won't leave me alone!" Zack finally growled into the open line.

"There is indeed!"

Wildfire was probably the last bot on Earth Zack had expected to be on the other end of the line. They didn't have the best track history, meaning that almost every conversation they ever had ending with either them in the brig, or them in a fight.

"We have a surprise for you."

Zack didn't even have to question the we, Wildfire and Jess where practically inseparable. He did NOT feel like being around humans right now.

"I HATE surprises."

"You'll like this one. And bring AJ, this is for her too."

Before Zack could protest any further Wildfire terminated the link with a set of cordierites. The big black mech cycled his vents. Sadly there was no arguing with the mustang, if he didn't show up the fem would come banging on his door. Zack tore himself away from the full length mirror and went over to AJ. His human was still sound asleep and he almost felt guilty wakening her up. Almost.

"Hey. Hey. Wake up. Come on lazy wake up!"

AJ pulled the blanket over her head and mumbled something about five minutes. Careful of the razor sharpness of his claws Zack picked up the small piece of cloth. AJ curled herself in to a ball as she grabbed blindly for the blanket.

"Come on. We have a surprise waiting for us."

"I swear to god, or Primus, or whatever Zack…" AJ mumbled. "If it's Ratchet or First Aid I will make your life a living hell."

Zack gave AJ a nudge with his palm. The Air Force pilot grumbled and rubbed her eyes.

"This surprise had better be stack of Reeses peanutbutter cups or I'm going to be pissed."

"Well it's from Wildfire and Jess so only Primus knows what they have planned."

AJ finally sat up with a yawn and a grumble. After the last two days all she wanted to do was sleep, but that didn't seem to be on the agenda. Zack offered his hand and AJ carefully climbed on. Now both of them where in a foul mood. Lucky for Zack, who usually didn't suffer the indignity of carrying around humans, no one was around this late at night. It was roughly four in the morning according to human time and everything was quite.

"How far away are they?" AJ huffed.

Zack double checked the cordierites to make sure they were walking the right way.

"It's not too far, but it's also just outside Red Alert's security perimeter. That can't be a good sign."

The path lead into a dense mini forest of trees that was thick enough to hide even Zack, but still left him enough room to maneuver. Zack increased the glow of his visor until there was a blue halo of light bright enough for them to see a good twelve feet or so in front of them.

"Stop!" Wildfire's voice said just beyond the blue light's reach. "Or your ruin the surprise!"

Zack said something in the whirring, digital language of Cybertron and whatever he said was answered with a quick "you'll see" from the hidden mustang. Zack set AJ down with a snarl and then straitened back up intent on putting stop to this lunacy before he got really angry. He got two steps forward when Wildfire appeared out of the trees with a hand on his chest to stop him from coming closer.

"Chug some coolant. I told you to hold on."

Wildfire pushed him back and gave him a warning finger jab in the chest plates.

"We haven't finished tying the bow."

The red and black fem then disappeared back to wherever she had come from leaving an irritated Zack and AJ to stare at each other. Then there was a rustling from the trees and Wildfire was back with a very self satisfied smile on her dark gray face. This time she was carrying something white in her hand that sounded like squealing metal. Like an over eager sparkling she set it down at Zack's feet. The mech was surprised to see it was a white Earth sports car. Its front left fender was crushed in and it had a "squished can" look about it, no doubt from being crushed by a very large transformer hand. Wildfire then motioned for someone else behind her to come out. If Zack had been surprised with the car AJ was even more surprised when two blindfolded and gagged teenage boys stumbled out from the brush and trees. Jess was fallowing after the two clearly frightened boys with a pistol pressed into their backs. AJ managed to send and "WTF are you DOING?!" look Jess's way though her complete shock. Jess gave her responsible friend a wink as if to say "don't worry the safety's on."

"Alright!" Jess snapped. "That's far enough! Get on your knees!"

The terrified teens dropped to their knees and AJ could finally see that their hands were tied behind their backs for added measure. Jess pressed the barrel of each gun into the back of their heads as she leaned in between them.

"Remember how I said I wasn't the biggest problem?"

With the pistols she removed the blindfolds. When the two teens eyes adjusted the looked up and saw Zack. If they hadn't already wet themselves they did now. Zack definitely didn't need lessons in being intimidating. His gaze brightened as he flexed his claws and turned so he could square himself to the boys. It would have been intimidating for one of his own kind let alone a couple of humans. Jess draped her arms around the boy's shoulders.

"Now… if it where up to me, I just would have beat the shit out of you. But see…" Jess waved one of her guns in Zack's direction. "My friend here wanted to have a little chat with the guys that seriously fucked up his paint."

Zack let out a low, mechanical sounding growl that had the boys whimpering.

"And see that pretty girl over there?" Jess waved her other gun at AJ. "She was with that giant robot over there that you hit. She could have got really hurt when you dumasses hit them and then just cut out of there. She's not in a good mood either. Now, like I said, I would have just beat you down, but you didn't hit me or MY car so it's not up to me, it's going to be up to the pretty lady and her lazor eyed buddy over there kay?"

With her little speech over Jess stood, holstered her pistols and stepped far back. Zack was about to take a step forward when AJ stopped him with a hand on his leg. The big black transformer turned his blue gaze to her and she crooked a finger for him to get closer.

"Don't hurt them." She said sternly when Zack knelt down so his face was close to her as he could get. "But scare the living piss out of them for me."

Zack allowed himself a quick smirk before he hardened his face and turned back to the boys. Zack rested on of his wicked claws on the white car that had hit him the day before as he got down on his other knee. With no effort the claws did what they were made to do, rip through weak metal. The former sports car shirked and groaned as the claws easily cut through it like a hot knife through butter. When the razors reached the ground, the car was little more than ribbons. Zack said something in his native Cybertronion language before bringing his face to the quivering boys.

"So…" Zack started in that deep, Decepticon voice he had. "You're the ones who did this to me?"

The wild eyed frantic boys screamed into their gags; which was little more than loud mumbling to Zack. Which a flash of lighting fast movement Zack's other hand came in over his head and all five of his claws in bedded into the earth evenly around the two teens making a very sharp cage. There was a loud "shink!" noise behind Jess that made Zack looked up. Wildfire was obscured by the trees but still visible. One of her swords was out and it glittered in the blue glow of Zack's optics. She gave her head a slow shake left and right to let Zack know he was pushing his luck "intimidating" the humans and she would step in if she had to. Undaunted, Zack turned his attention back to the juvenile male humans.

"What am I going to do with you?" Zack pondered out loud. "I protect the pathetic mud ball you call a planet from being overrun and your species enslaved… and this is how you repay me?"

One of the teens eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped forward completely unconscious. As he hit the dirt with a dull "thunk" Zack's face almost cracked into a smile. He still had the touch. With one down Zack turned to the still conscious one and fixed his visor on him.

"Don't… EVER let me catch you driving recklessly again. Because if we have meet again, things will not be pretty. Do you understand me puny meat bag?"

The teen just stared wide eyed and shaking at the transformer.

"I said… DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!" Zack said loudly.

Or rather, to Wildfire or another Cybertronion he was speaking loudly, but to humans he was full on yelling. The boy froze, and then fell sideways, completely unconscious like the other. Zack retracted his claws with a snort of his vents. He then stood and dusked his hands off with a pleased smile.

"Well I feel better." He said matter-o-factly.

"Zack, I'm not sure if I tell you this enough, but you are amazing!" AJ squealed happily. "That just made all those stupid tests and putting up with Ratchet and First Aid SO worth it!"

"I know I know, I'm amazing." Zack said with his usual confidence.

Jess quickly checked the two boy's pluses and when she was satisfied that they were still alive she put her hands on her hips and snapped her fingers at Zack.

"Now! I believe I just proved that not all humans are bad. So next time, don't curse my species when I'm around alright? I'll just have to prove you wrong again."

Zack gave Jess a calculating look before he turned to Wildfire.

"Maybe it's the human I should be watching out for instead of you."

Wildfire shrugged as she retracted her sword.

"I've been trying to tell you all that it's these two to keep an optic on." The fem said pointing at the two humans females. "They'll be the death of us all."

Jess trotted over to her friend like she hadn't just kidnapped two teens and then forced them to stare down one of the most deadly Autobots.

"So?" She asked. "Did you like your present?"

AJ shook her head and sighed.

"It would have been enough for their names and phone numbers to get them to pay for the damage Jess."

"PISH!" Jess laughed. "This is WAY better then a stupid insurance claim. Besides, now these two will be the most responsible drivers on the road for the rest of their lives. That's gotta count for something!"

Zack shook his head as he turned to Wildfire.

"I take it Prime doesn't know about this?"

"Prime doesn't know about what?" Wildfire said with a shrug. "I was out patrolling and you where moping in your room all night."

"This is pretty dark stuff Wildfire, kidnapping humans, interrogating them till they lose consciousness… it's not very Autobot like."

Wildfire gave the mech a sly grin.

"Maybe I just have a little Decepticon in me…"

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

TA DA!! The end!! I made it!! I really made it all the way to the end!!

Brian twin! I hope that Zack is feeling better and I'm happy you're alright! If I ever get my hands on the bastard(s) that did that to your Zack things will get ugly for them!! I hope you got a laugh or two out of this and maybe a little revenge!!

Wildfire belongs to me!

Zack belongs to my brain twin AJ-sama

And the transformer idea to Hasbro.


	7. To the Future

I don't know where this idea came from. I was day dreaming at work and the coffee feums must have got to my brain or something.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

The blue sky was serene and peaceful in the middle of the day. There were no clouds in sight and birds chipped happily. Then a dark little dot appeared in the pristine sky. It started small but quickly grew with mind numbing speed. Clouds spiraled out from the seeming black hole followed quickly by streaks of lighting.

"aaaaaaaaAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!"

Something came hurtling out of the black hole with a scream and crashed into the trees.

"wwwwoooaaaaaaaAAAAAHHHHHH!!"

Another something fell after the first into the same trees but with a metallic CRASH accompanying the landing. With its cargo deposited the black hole and lighting storm in the sky disappeared in to nothing just as quickly as it had appeared.

"UGH! You fat aft get off me! I think you crushed my ventilation system!"

Wildfire flung Zack off her as she rolled onto her back coughing. The black mech groaned as he got to his elbows.

"Oh my aching chassis… you better not have scratched my paint with your ugly red!"

"Shut up Zack!" Wildfire snapped as she got to her hands and knees. "Ugh... I think I'm gonna vomit."

"Not on me! I'll kill you!"

The two transformers stayed on the ground recovering from their bizarre trip.

"What the hell happened?" Wildfire asked when her equilibrium sensors finally righted themselves.

Zack rolled onto his back putting a clawed hand to his head trying to get his world to stop tumbling end over end.

"Off the top of my processor? We just went through a wormhole."

"Wormhole? As in intentions space travel?" Wildfire groaned. She was not looking forward to a long flight home.

Zack moaned and sat up keeping one hand on his head to keep it from exploding. The black pickup looked around himself and then up at the sun in the sky. Everything looked very familiar. It looked exactly like the place they had been fighting Megatron and the Decepticons.

"We're… right where we were?"

"Oh Primus. Please tell me that we didn't go through a TIME TRAVEL wormhole!"

Wildfire finally had enough of herself rebooted so she could stand on shaking legs to look around herself.

"I REALLY hate time travel!" The fem growled.

The hill the Autobots had stormed was right where they left it. The large crater left by one of the seeker's missiles was still there, but now it was covered by new grass and full of water that had turned it into a small lake. There was no question that some time had pasted since the time the two had been here.

"Primus damn it!" Wildfire snapped, punching the closest tree. "I HATE TIME TRAVEL! All the time paradoxes, grandfather causes and all the stupid time travel rules! I swore I would never time travel! It's so complicated!"

Zack got to his feet and ran some numbers through his head. He had been prepared for this outcome but he never thought it would happen. Megatron and the Decepticons had prepared their latest super weapon when the Autobots had intervened. Zack was in the middle of deactivating the machine when he had apparently triggered it. Wildfire who had been coving his back as he worked was sucked into the temporal time warp with him.

"I estimate we are somewhere between two and five hundred years in the future."

"Great." Wildfire groaned. "Hey wait a second. How do you know?"

"I'm rather versed in time travel theory and application."

"You?" Wildfire snorted in disbelief. "I don't buy it."

"I was involved in the prototypes of Megatron's other time travel ventures while I was still a Decepticon. I was the senior ranking officer for testing and execution of possible time travel devices. I have what some might call an expertise with the subject. The very fact that we have been transported to the future could have immense ramifications. For instance our absence from the Autobot ranks could have resulted in a future where…"

"Enough! Head hurts." Wildfire said over the former con.

Zack ignored the fem as he pulled out the data pad he had been using to download the scamatics for Megatron's latest super weapon. As he scrolled through the data it looked more and more like what he already knew. Megatron had built himself a working time machine. He had hoped that the time travel had been a side effect of trying to shut the machine down but it turned out that it was a machine's primary function. Wonderful. Megatron messing with the time stream was just a nightmare come true.

"Hopefully Optimus doesn't destroy the time machine." Zack said out loud. "Or we could be stuck here."

"Are you telling me this might be a one way trip?!"

"What I'm saying," Zack grumbled irritated. "Is that if the machine that transported us here is blown up, we're stuck."

"Great. Because I trust Cliffjumper to NOT blow up something." Wildfire grumbled.

"Barring Cliffjumper, the time travel devise should survive. It would only take Wheeljack and Perceptor a few minutes to simply reconfigure the machine to bring us home. With Tek's help they should find us rather quickly."

"So I have to trust Wheeljack not to destroy the thing? We're doomed."

Wildfire stared out at what had been a battle field only seconds ago that was now a peaceful field. After a few minutes of silence she decided to ask the one question on her mind.

"What do you think happened to everyone when we disappeared?" She asked Zack.

"That is nearly impossible to determine." Zack said. "Any number of possibilities exists, if you discount the idea of "destiny" even more…"

"Head hurts again. Sorry I asked."

"You ask a question but you don't what to hear the answer? You get mad at me for being stupid."

"Hey shut your mouth! I just hate time travel!"

"As you've said no less than four times now! Can we get past this and on to something productive?!"

"Look, right where their suppose to be. I told you so."

Wildfire and Zack wheeled around to see somebot heading their way. Wildfire already had her swords out and was ready for a fight.

"Who's there?!" She bellowed.

There was a chuckle and then a second laugh. Now there where two bots heading for them. Zack flexed his claws and brought up the battle setting on his visor.

"You are."

Wildfire's optics went wide as her swords dropped. She was staring at herself. Her perfect copy smiled and waved to the other bot behind her.

"Get over here and say hi. It's not going to make the universe implode."

"Honestly you hate time travel and haven't had the extensive education like I have in the subject. How do you know what will happen?"

This time it was Zack's turn to be surprised. There was his future self staring him in the face. The four stared at each other for a few moments taking everything in.

"Don't be so stunned." Future Zack said to his younger counter part. "That look doesn't suit us."

"Woah…" Young Wildfire said. "This is so trippy."

"Yea that's how I felt the first time around."

"So, I take it that if we still exist in the future that we are able to get back home?" Zack asked his own counterpart.

The older truck nodded.

"You should have some words with Cliffjumper though. He very nearly punched a few holes through the machine."

"I'll do that. So… why would you come to see us? That could theoretically violate the third law of…"

"Enough already!" Older Wildfire said, though a little less harsh then her younger self.

"We," Older Zack said as he motioned to the older Wildfire. "and by we I mean her, apparently decided to hell with the space time continuum."

"What? How often do you get to see and talk to yourself in the metal?" Older Wildfire said happily.

"How often can you destroy the time steam and alter the future for the worst?"

Future Wildfire gave her Zack an affection punch on the arm that made both younger bots do a double take.

"How far in the future ARE we?" Zack inquired, trying to ignore the little smile his future self gave the fem.

"Roughly five hundred years, but I'm sure you have more questions than that."

"I don't think we should know too much about our own future." Zack shook his head. "It could alter the…"

"Have we won the fucking war yet?" Young Wildfire asked with hands squarely on her hips.

It was the one question she might have put up with time travel to have answered. And all this talk of random rules and "altering" the time river, stream whatever was getting old.

"Not yet." Older Wildfire sighed. "But the Autobots have managed to push the Con's to the moon. They're not on Earth anymore, which is GREAT because now our monitoring patrols have been cut it half."

"Lazy even in the future." Young Zack smirked at his own counterpart.

"Hey shut up!" Wildfire snapped.

Future Zack and Wildfire giggled to each other as the other two of them looked at them like they were crazy.

"I remember when I used to hate you like that." Older Wildfire purred.

"How nice of you to no longer hate me." Older Zack smiled.

The two older bots held hands, interlaced their fingers (and claws), leaned forward, put their foreheads together and nuzzled noses.

"WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA…. WHOA!!"

Younger Wildfire stepped in and pulled the two apart and then looked her older self in the optic looking horrified.

"What the hell are you doing?! We HATE Zack!"

"Past tense. We hated Zack, now…" She looked over to her Zack and smiled. "We kinda love him."

"OH PRIMUS NO!" Past Zack said turning his horrified gaze on himself. "Come on! How could you do this?! She's ugly, pushy and doesn't respect the paint!"

Older Zack just shrugged.

"I don't know, once you get past her attitude she's really sweet. And she's definitely not ugly."

"Aw, that's so nice of you to say Sweetheart."

"It's true sugar thrusters."

"UGH! Gross!" both younger versions reeled.

Young Wildfire turned and had to put some distance between the herself and the horror as a massive head ache started to descend on the back of her processor. The distasteful feel of half processed energon coming back up her throat accompanied the rest of the unpleasantness.

"Oh Primus I think I'm going to purge my tank!"

Younger Zack had to turn and walk away as well. How could this happen to him?! It was absolutely insane! There was no way this could ever happen! Something very, VERY horrible had to have happened to the time stream for this twisted, unholy, horrifying future to happen. He swore that when he got back to the past he would make sure this sick, perverse future never came to fruition.

"I think we broke ourselves." 500 year older Wildfire smiled.

"We'll get over it." Zack said putting an arm around her shoulders with his own grin.

"Oh look, younger me is feeling sick." Wildfire said happily.

Once she had her energon forced back down Wildfire took a minute to compose her thoughts into a comprehensible argument.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO?!"

"Seconded!" Zack added.

"Well it's a long story but…" Wildfire started.

"Mom?!" Something shouted from the trees behind the group.

Older Wildfire turned around and scanned the trees. A small bot, only a few feet tall, was awkwardly making his way towards them.

"Techno! What are you doing here?"

A little bot stumbled over a tree root and fell to the ground. Future Wildfire quickly went to him and picked him up as the younger version watched curious. The little bot sniffled and clicked a couple of times clearly making him a sparkling. The Wildfire holding the sparkling stood up rubbing noses with the small black and white bot.

"I… tripped!" The little sparkling said between hiccups.

His little black doorwings flicked up and down as his tiny little white hands where placed over his face but couldn't hide his stubby little red cherveron on his forhead.

"Aw, it's ok sparkling. It's just some little scratches. We'll take you to Ratchet and get you fixed up."

"Otay." The sparkling said as he peeked through his fingers.

His bright blue optics locked onto the younger Wildfire and the cutest confused look crossed his little face plates. He looked from one Wildfire to the other and then up at the one who was holding him.

"Mom why are there two of you?"

"M-mom?!" Younger Wildfire stuttered, too horror-struck for any other words.

"Ha! You're a mom!" Zack sneered.

"Daddy? Why are there two of you too?"

"Excuse me?!" Zack said to the sparkling.

Older Zack gave Wildfire a squeeze with his arm and smiled.

"Younger us, meet your future sparkling Techno."

The adorable sparkling waved at the sickened time travelers with a charming little smile as his brilliant sapphire optics flashed happily.

"Hi mommy! Hi daddy!"

Young Wildfire and Zack looked at each other with revulsion clearly etched on their faces.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Not on your LIFE!"

Older Zack leaned over and kissed Wildfire on the cheek as he patted his sparkling on the head. Then, as suddenly as before, in the sky a black dot expanded into a time storm. The unwilling time travelers where picked up by invisible hands and drawn into the eye of the storm as their older counterparts and sparkling waved good bye.

"Where's my energon goodie!" The sparkling demanded when everything settled down. "You said if I called you mommy I could have one!"

Techno folded his arms over his chest with the cutest frown on his face.

"Hold your horsepower." Wildfire snorted as she set him down on the floor. "Geeze you know I'm good for it!"

"Daddy said not to trust you."

"Yeah well you tell Prowl to blow it out his…."

"AH HM!" Zack cleared his vents loudly. "Watch your vocalizer around the sparkling. Jazz won't let you get off easy if you tech him another bad word."

The little sparkling held out hand and Wildfire pressed the Cybertronion candy into the tiny palm. Techno held out his other hand.

"One for calling Zack daddy too!"

"Geeze who are you Swindle?!" Wildfire said with a frown. "You drive a hard bargain anyone ever tell you that?"

"Uncle Sideswipe." The sparkling said with the pout still frozen on his cute little face.

Wildfire shook her head which only made the sparkling shake his hand and stomp a foot in frustration.

"I'll tell daddy that you where messing up the space time conten-imim!"

Wildfire smiled at the cute mispronunciation and gave the sparkling a whole pack of energon goodies.

"Now be sure to eat all of these right before recharge ok? And don't tell your dads."

"OK!"

"And what do you do if they ask you want happened?" Wildfire asked the sparkling.

"Deny deny deny." Techno repeated what he had been taught.

"Good kid!" Wildfire with a pat on the head.

Techno stuffed some of the goodies into his mouth as he bounded off with his candy leaving Zack and Wildfire to laugh by themselves.

"Did you see the look on my face?! Oh man I got us so good!" Wildfire howled with laughter.

"You have a very sick mind." Zack grinned. "You're the only bot in the universe that would use time travel to play a prank on yourself. Sick sick bot. Not only that but now you're going to have Prowl and Jazz on our afts for using their sparkling to break time."

"If we broke time we'd know by now. SEE! Everything is fine just like I told you."

"So, did you really hate me back then?" Zack asked as he slid his hand down Wildfire's back.

Wildfire knocked his hand away before he could get to her aft and thrust a finger into Zack's chest plates.

"You where really pushing your luck with that whole "we're together now" slag! And I thought I told you to NEVER call me sugar thrusters AGAIN or I would personally remove your interfacing equipment!"

Zack put his claws up in surrender.

"So did you really hate me?"

Wildfire did her best interpretation of rolling her eyes as she sighed.

"I wouldn't call it hate. More like a very strong dislike. Now let's get back and deny all of this ever happened before Jazz comes looking for us."

The two turned and walked back towards base after the sparkling.

"Sooo…" Zack said walking a little closer to the fem. "What you're saying is that I might have a chance with you now that you don't strongly dislike me?"

"Yeah no. That's not what I was saying. You have like, no chance."

"Like" no chance? That sounds like a chance to me."

"There's not enough high grade Zack."

"So if I found enough high grade…?"

"99.9 percent chance I'd just punch you in the face."

"Mmm… So there IS a chance!"

Wildfire shook her head and play punched the black truck on the arm.

"I need to have a talk with Sideswipe and arrange a party with lots of high grade!"

"Shut up Zack." Wildfire laughed.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

I got ten pages done in under 24 hours. I. AM. A. GOOOOOOOOD!

This is the best idea I've ever had. Hopefully Wildfire and Zack don't get too mad at me. After all they did it to themselves.

Well brain twin this was my grand idea! I hope you thought it was as epic as I did. In the famous words of Starsceam; "Time makes all things possible." Who knows what could happen in 500 years? Zack and Wildfire could be friends, lover, parents or just keep on "strongly disliking" each other!!

(and also maybe you could come some cool and devious ideas for Zack's knowledge of time travel!)


	8. To the Past

Wheeljack Perceptor and Tek where still working on the device. They'd been at it for a good fifteen minutes now and Optimus was getting a little worried. Usually after just looking at something one of those three geniuses would be able to tell you what was it was, how it worked and already fixed it. This time all three where muttering to themselves and not making any announcements about their progress. The Autobot leader was starting to feel a little anxious. During the battle Zack and Wildfire had been in charge of shutting down Megatron's latest super weapon. Zack had volunteered for the job because his background as a former Con made him familiar with Decepticon equipment and codes. Everyone agreed that he would have the best chance at safely shutting down whatever Megatron had built in the shortest amount of time. And because covering Zack's back as he worked in the heart of the Decepticon army was the toughest, lowest percentage of survival part of this mission, Wildfire hadn't so much as volunteered as demanded the job.

Everything had been going smoothly at first. Zack and Wildfire both had slipped to the machine unnoticed by the Decepticons as Optimus had led the first distraction team. To make sure they stayed distracted Jazz had led the second team in a pincer move to flank the Cons when they attacked Optimus. Everything had been going according to Prowl's plan; that was until Starscream decided to try and stop the sabotage crew. Wildfire had fended him off pretty well for being suck on the ground covering Zack. That was probably what had prompted Starscream to activate a failsafe in the machine. After a spectacular failure to either kill or injure Wildfire, in true Starscream fashion, the seeker had pulled out a remote control and pressed some buttons. Right after the super weapon had started making noise as Zack desperately tried to turn it off. In the space of only a few seconds there was a blinding white light that enveloped everything and made everyone's sensors go haywire. When it was gone so was Zack and Wildfire, the two bots closest to the machine. Megatron beat a hasty retreat after that leaving the Autobots to wonder what had happened to their friends.

"They've been vaporized!" Cliffjumper had raged. "I'm going to turn this thing in to scrape and then the Decepticons!"

"Easy Cliffjumper!"

Optimus the stepped in a redirected the red minibot's rifle before any damage could be done.

"We don't know for sure what happened to them. Let's find out as much as we can before we jump to any conclusions."

And that's what brought Optimus to the now. Waiting for any word on two of the best warriors the Autobots had. When the twenty minute mark rolled around he decided he wanted an update. The big perterbuilt walked up to the engineering masterminds and cleared his vents loudly.

"What's the status on this thing?" Optimus asked.

"Almost got this thing working again bossbot." Wheeljack answered as he pulled his head out from a panel in the machine's side.

"That was the simple part." Perceptor said from his place at the main computer. "It appears that this device is capable of rearranging the subspace particles that manipulate…"

"Perceptor…" Optimus said as he raised a hand to stop the microscope before he got started. "If you don't mind, could you please speak in plain Cybertroion English"?

"It's s time machine sir." Tek monotoned from the other side of Preceptor.

"Thank you Tek," Perceptor said a bit hotly. "but I was getting to that!"

"Apologies sir."

Optimus sighed to himself. It seemed Perceptor still hadn't gotten used to the fact that there was another bot as smart as he was. After smoothing out the metaphorical ruffled feathers Perceptor continued.

"Yes a time machine. It's really quite exciting! I've never encountered one that actually functions! The breakthrough in science this could be!"

"Or the end of the world as we know it." Optimus said sternly over the scientist's enthusiasm. "If Megatron was able to tamper with past events… it could be disastrous for the entire universe."

"Well… there's that too. But luckily for us it does not appear that the brute was able to exploit the machine's capabilities."

"And Wildfire and Zack?"

"Well… I um… I believe that they somehow activated the time code and where transported to the past."

"They are in the future sirs." Tek said.

"Excuse me?" Perceptor inquired as he rounded on the younger bot.

Tek pushed his visor up and had to cycle his optics through quite a few shades of blue until they could handle the strong light.

"I've just completed my analysis sirs. The temporal time stream is un-tampered with and no anomalies are detected either in the past or present."

"That is absurd!" Perceptor huffed as he headed towards where Tek was working. "All my analysis show that Megatron's intentions where to use this device to alter the past."

"My initial investigations concluded the same. But as I reached more present data, specifically in the moments before the time travel capabilities activated, Zack had altered the destination. Specifically, five hundred twenty four and a quarter Earth years to be exact."

Perceptor fervently reanalyzed the data, double and triple checking the input data from Zack. When he was finished the scientist did his best not to turn up his nose as he turned to Optimus.

"It seems that I was incorrect. This new data seems to show that Zack and Wildfire are indeed in the future."

"Can you get them back?" Optimus asked.

"It shouldn't be too difficult," Perceptor said tapping his chin already thinking the processes through. "We would just need to redirect the power supply and active the retrieval beacon. That should have them back in moments!"

"Excellent Perceptor. Let's get those two back as soon as possible."

"Perceptor sir." Tek said looking up from the computer. "I have the data entered and the machine is ready for retrieval."

Optimus didn't know it was possible but Perceptor puffed himself up indignantly. The Autobot leader put his head in his hand fully expecting a fight.

"I was wondering sir," Tek said quickly before Perceptor could begin a tirade. "If you could please reexamine my calculations."

Perceptor looked perplexed at the young hacker's request. Tek was more than capable of perfect calculations. In fact he was known for it.

"For what reason?"

"This is my twin in danger. I should be considered emotionally compromised. All my work on this case should be looked over by a superior."

Optimus was relieved when Perceptor's attitude changed. He seemed a little more understanding and less threatened by the younger bot. Optimus felt a little twinge of pride, Tek was shaping up to be quite the diplomat. After a few moments of Perceptor looking over Tek's work the microscope cleared the area around the machine. It was time to bring a couple of bots home.

"On my mark." Perceptor told Tek when everyone was clear. "Three, two… one!"

Tek entered the code and the machine revved back to life. There was another blinding flash of white light, some screaming, and when everyone could see again Wildfire and Zack where sprawled out on the floor screaming. Ratchet was the first one on the scene followed quickly by Prowl, Jazz and Optimus. Ratchet quickly scanned the both of them as they came to their senses.

"Are either of you hurt anywhere?"

"Oh sweet lovin' Primus we're home!" Wildfire exclaimed.

Ratchet decided to let that comment slide as he scanned the fem for any damage.

"I HATE time travel!" Zack gasped as he got to his claws and knees.

"Whoa," Jazz smiled as he and Prowl helped the pickup to his feet. "That must have been some trip you had bro."

"You have NO idea…" Zack wanted to laugh it off but he couldn't bring himself to even fake the emotion.

After Ratchet had cleared them of any medical problems the remaining Autobots pressed in around the two.

"What was the future like?" Sideswipe asked.

"Do we win the war?"

"What was it like?"

As Ratchet helped Wildfire up the fem and Zack met optics for a fraction of a second before quickly looking away from each other.

"The future is a horrible horrible place!" Wildfire snapped. "I don't want to talk about it it's so horrible. But while I'm still alive it will never EVER happen!"

"Agreed!" Zack added.

Zack brushed the second and third in command off him as he turned around to face the time machine. Wheeljack and Perceptor where already consulting with each other on how to conduct tests to extract the most information. Zack growled as he stomped towards the thing. Perceptor looked up at Zack who was coming right for them. Wheeljack and Tek where smart enough to abandon ship but the red microscope was too enamored with the machine to process what Zack was going to do.

"Zack! Welcome back!" Perceptor said happily. "How does it feel to be the first time traveling Autobot?"

Tek grabbed hold of the scientist elbow as Zack's face plates twisted into a look of rage.

"I feel it would be wise for you to move Perceptor sir."

The young hacker managed to pull Percepter out of the way just as Zack's wicked claws came down on the time machine. Bits and pieces flew everywhere when the pickup removed his claws that had bitten deep into the metal. They had gone clean through the outer metal down into the venerable inner workings.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Perceptor demanded.

"Making sure this thing can't be used for evil ever again!"

"But but but!!" The scientist stammered. "The attribute to science this could be!"

"It's not worth it!" Zack snapped as he brought his claws down again and again.

The entire Autobot army watched with a feeling of dread that the future must be bleak indeed if it drove Zack to his extreme.

~ Fin

~!~!~!~!~

If you wish the story to end there… STOP READING.

To see a somewhat "alternate" or perhaps "extended" ending keep reading!

~!~!~!~!~

It had been a week since the impromptu trip to the future. Zack still wasn't quite over the shock. Him and Wildfire? Together? With a sparkling? He still shuttered with revulsion at the thought. He had done all in his power to forget the whole thing ever happened short of asking someone to beat his processor out of his helmet. He hadn't even talked to the fem in that week. It seemed she was avoiding him as much as he was avoiding her. That was fine with Zack. He picked up his cube of stashed high grade intent on drowning those pesky processor cells that where still remembering the horror. He wanted them dead and destroyed as soon as possible.

Interrupting him on his way to getting ridiculously overcharged was a rather forceful knock on his door.

"Go away! I'm trying to drown in a cube of highgrade here!"

Thinking himself cleaver Zack took a long swing of the cube, draining the whole thing. Another, far more violent knock pounded his door.

"Open the door or I'll break it down!"

Zack groaned. Why off all bots on Earth, including Decepticons, did it have to be Wildfire? Knowing full well the mustang WOULD make good on her promise Zack was left no other choice but to open the door. A very irate Wildfire meet his visor as she stuck a crawled finger in his chest plates.

"Did you use to have white paint?"

There was no way the high grade was kicking in that fast but Zack had to be sure he had heard the mustang right.

"What?"

"Let me in!" Wildfire snapped as she pushed past the stunned mech into his private quarters.

"HEY! This is my…!" Zack started angrily at the invasion.

"Shut up this is important! Did you ever have white paint before?"

"NO!! I haven't! Now if you will kindly get the frag out of my quarters!"

Wildfire ignored the truck as she paced back and forth tapping her chin with a clawed digit. When she paused to look up at Zack the mech made a not so subtle gesture for her to get the hell out. It was again ignored.

"Close the door bit brain!" Wildfire snapped.

"Get the frag out and I will!"

"You really want everyone to hear about the future?"

The door was quickly closed.

"I thought we agreed that we would never, EVER speak about that!"

"That's just the thing, I've been thinking about it, and I think it was lie."

"Time travel doesn't lie." Zack snapped.

"No, but bots do."

"I fail to see your point."

"Another question. Did you ever have doorwings?"

"What the pit is this? Twenty questions?! NO! I have never had doorwings!"

"What about a cherveron? Have one of those?"

"NO!"

"Did you ever have a red one?"

"Where you NOT listening?! NOO!"

"Oh I am sooooooo pissed right now."

"Why? Because I don't look like Prowl?"

"No! I am so happy you DON'T look like Prowl you have no idea."

"Ok…" Zack said putting up his hands. "I've lost me even more."

"Look, think about that sparkling…"

"No no no no NO thank you! That's the opposite of what this high grade is for." Zack barked as he shook his head and started walking away.

"Listen you sorry excuse for a mech!" Wildfire growled as she pushed him up against a wall with a hand to get his attention back. "Think for a minute. If we really DID have a sparkling it would be either be all red, all black or black and red. Not black and white."

Now the high grade was reaching his processor and Zack was having trouble thinking straight.

"So?"

"So!" Wildfire pressed on in a slightly calmer voice. "You've got red optics, I've got blue. Our sparkling would have purple, the one we saw had blue. He also had doorwings that neither of us have. Plus a cherveron that again we don't have."

"So?" Zack repeated, then paused when his next point escaped him in a cloud of energon. "Well… aren't you… a shape shifter or something? Couldn't it just get that from you?"

Wildfire snorted and shuttered he optics in a mock "eye roll."

"It doesn't work like that."

"So… I still…." Another long pause from the truck. "I still don't get your point."

"Well maybe you would if you weren't hammered." Wildfire snorted, she wanted her hand back but she was sure if she moved Zack would fall on his drunken aft. "The sparkling wasn't ours idiot."

"Well then whose was it?"

"Oh come on you can't be THAT drunk. Who here has doorwings, a red cherveron, is black and white and has a black and white bondmate?"

Wildfire shook her head at just how long it took Zack's energon soaked processor to put two and two together.

"Oh my Primus! Prowl and Jazz! It was their sparkling!"

"Welcome to the party."

Zack threw his arms above his head and shouted happily.

"WOOOOO! I am not a creator! I don't love you and I never will! YES! This is the best day of my life!!"

"Yeah well I feel the same. But this means that we totally got played! By ourselves! Do you know how much of a burn that is!?"

"Well I bet it was YOUR idea." Zack slurred a little, still happy that he was not a future parent. "You're an exhaust pipe like that."

"I am an asshole like that." Wildfire mused out loud. "If I got the opportunity to do it I know I would jump at the chance. Damn it I wish you hadn't destroyed the time machine or I would have gone back there and kicked my ass for pulling this crap!"

Wildfire finally removed her hand from Zack's chest and just as she predicted he slumped to his aft on the ground.

"Well now that that's over we can go back to openly hating, and don't have to avoid eachother anymore."

That being said Wildfire stepped over the still giddy Zack and opened the door to let herself out.

"Until next time!" Zack shot at her as she left.

"Yeah, next time." Wildfire shorted as the door closed and she walked away.

Around the corner the opposite way Wildfire had disappeared Sideswipe poked his head out into the hall and then back. They had happened by Zack's quarters right around the time there was something thrown up against the wall and some shouts of joy. The red Lamborghini turned to his yellow twin with a devious look on his face.

"Sunny… you don't think the two of them…?"

~Fin.

(for real this time)

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Aaaaaaaaaaand the next day when the twins tried to use their new blackmail the Autobots found their heads on pikes. Just saying… don't blackmail. You never know if you're going to be blackmailing a couple of murder happy psychos.

What started as an epilog basically turned into its own story. How the hell does this stuff happen!?


	9. Debate as old as time…

"Your being absurd sister."

"Well your being an idiot."

"I most certainly am not an idiot simply for pointing out the flaw in your logic."

"What are you talking about? My logic is sound!"

"Because I said so" is not a valid argument."

"It is too!"

"That's not a valid point either."

The twins Tek and Wildfire where standing in the middle of the rec room talking, or rather arguing, when Jazz slipped inside. After a long boring shift of monitor duty the special opts leader was looking forward to kicking back for a little fun before heading to recharge. Apparently he and all the other bots present weren't going to get that. As the Porsche carefully picked his way around the twins to get his ration of energon he wondered why the siblings weren't getting along. He quickly took a seat with Bumblebee and Bluestreak who where both doing their best to ignore the twins behind them.

"So what's this all about?" Jazz asked as he sat with the two younger bots.

Bee and Blue both shrugged and tried not to draw attention to themselves.

"Don't know." The little yellow spy told him. "They just walked in like that."

"How long have they been at it?"

Another round of shrugs. Jazz rested his elbows on the table and set his chin on his interlaced fingers. It looked like there was going to be a show tonight.

"Wildfire, your being ridiculous."

"Well you're just insane. How could you think that?"

The siblings squared off in true twin fashion. Nose to nose, hands on hips with attitudes flying.

"You're perpetually stuck in the past. Accept that your opinions are outdated."

"OUTDATED?!"

"Is your processor having difficulty functioning?"

"HA! You wish! Then you might have a chance at winning."

"There is no contest. My logic trumps yours."

"You think shallow things like knobs and buttons make a car! But it's this!" Wildfire tapped her chest. "It's the spark that makes us number one."

"What has a spark got to do with the argument? Everyone has a spark. That is nothing special."

"I'm talking personality Tek! The never say die, never surrender,7u fuck the world spirit that courses through the fuel lines!"

"You are absolutely incorrigible. This is a debate. Abstract ideas like "personally" have nothing to do with the argument. It is not a scientifically measurable fact."

"And that's why you lose you freakn' Vulcan."

"For the last time! All the evidence points to CHEVEROLETS being the best cars!"

"No, FORDS are!"

"Chevy!"

"Ford!"

"CHEVY!"

"FORD!"

"Porsche!" Jazz piped up from his table.

Both Wildfire and Tek turned to look at the saboteur with mirror image scowls on their faces. Jazz smiled at them thinking he'd made quite the funny joke while defusing the situation. The twins didn't even look at each other as they rounded on Jazz.

"Hardly." Tek said flatly. "A Porsche offers very little practical uses. It has no towing abilities, no storage capacity and absolutely zero off road capabilities. Hardly a contender for the title of the best car. It's only claim is that it is flashy."

Everybot in the room turned to look at the twins and Jazz, shocked expressions frozen on to their face plates.

"Not just that." Wildfire said turning up her nose at the black and white. "It's such an elitist symbol. Its price is absolutely outrageous for something so unworthy of it. It screams oppressive snobbery and all around diskishness. The only humans that can afford drive Porsches are complete assholes."

Tek and Wildfire then looked at each other and nodded.

"I think we're done here." They said with one voice.

They strode out the door with no more arguing leaving a stunned audience behind them. One very stunned Porsche sat at a table left in the twins wake.

"What the Pit was THAT?!" He asked the room.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

So what have we learned today young-bots? … That's right! Never EVER get in the middle of a twin fight. Not even if you the third in command and head of special ops. They WILL take you down.

(Just for the record, I love both Fords AND Cheveys. But if I had to pick… I'm sorry Tek but I'd have to pick Ford.)


	10. Journal entries 1 though 5

Entry 1

May 26, Midnight

The night is young. Innocent. It won't stay that way for long. A perverted shadow prowls the night. It skulks in darkness looking to spread it's filth over the whole planet. I won't let it. Tonight, my mission starts. As it will every night until it is safe again. Others count on me. I won't let them be devoured by evil. Never again.

Primus is kind tonight. Gave me a full moon. Makes tracking easier. Hurm. If I believed in Primus I'd say thanks. Feels nice. Hunting. Tracking. Reminds me of "old days." Hope I can keep my head and not kill. Will be hard. Mustn't anger the tactician… again. Will be thrown in the brig… again. Cold and boring. Usually filled with ugly lambos. Annoying.

The target is on the move. He is mine now. I will fallow to the gates of oblivion to get my answers.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Entry 2

May 27, 1:05am

What the fuck is wrong with me? Screw the dramatics. UHH! I just read my own journal entry. Was I on crack?! I didn't know human drugs could affect me. I sounded like The Hatchet labialized me. How come when Rorschach writes like that it sounds so cool? Hurm. Oh well. I'll leave the crazy writing to the human crazies.

I'm still tailing Zack. He's been driving for and hour now and we are officially in the middle of Primus forsaken nowhere. This is farthest that he's ever gone from base. The last couple of nights he's been slipping off in to the night. I've tracked him as far as my patrol route would let me. I would have fallowed him further then that but so help me Primus if I have to hear the "why it's so important to stick to designated patrol routes" lecture from Prowl again I'm going to blow my processor out with the biggest gun I can find. My luck he'll still stick me in the brig with the lambo twins for company.

Speaking of annoyances that I wish didn't exist, I HATE Zack's fucking cloaking device!! All my stupid scanners and tracking equipment is useless when that damn thing is activated. So the only way I can keep tabs on him is strictly visual. Which is annoying. Zack's not like the rest of the half glitches Autobots. He can recognize a tail three miles back and can smell a suspicious situation from ten. Unlike a few other Corvettes, VW bugs and Lamborghinis I could name…

No sadly for me Zack knows what the pit he is doing. Why couldn't he be a processor glitched idiot? So right now I'm a rather large black pick up truck, something Zack would never expect me to be. For good reason. He knows how much I hate black pick ups. So now I'm about three and a half miles behind him with my lights off. Wait, Have I mentioned that being a Shape shifter ROOOOOOOCKS?! Because it does. But back to the point. That point being that Zack is an annoying aft-hole. Going back to the original point before that, I hate bots that have cloaking devices, know what their doing and who I can't kill. Well… I guess I could kill him but I'd get the longest lecture of my life. I'd like to avoid that. Hmm… you know I think I'm starting to see what Prowl meant about priorities. I'd rather take a life then listen to a lecture. Hunnn… I should look into that sometime.

Zack's doing something shady these last few nights. Which is why I'm trying to find out what he's up too. Even if it kills him. He hasn't told anyone what's going on, not even his human AJ. Which means he's doing one of two things; he's either under cover, or this is going to be the best opportunity for blackmail on him EVER!

I wonder what he's doing out here. It BETTER be something cool for all the trouble I'm going through to bust his ass. So far I'm thinking he's meeting somebody out here to bump some windshields or even better, he has some dirty little embarrassing secret like he like's Brittney Spears fan and he's out here dancing to her songs while singing along! Oh Primus he'd kill himself if I got just one picture of him singing "oops I did it again!" OH SHIT! He's going off road!

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Entry 3

May 27, 2:45am

Fuck this vehicle mode. This is why I HATE pick-ups. Stupid, bulky, in-flexible chassis!! Zack pulled off the road sometime ago. We went 4-wheeling for a little while till he drove into a dense forest. WHERE THE FUCK DID THAT COME FROME?! Out of the whole damn flat plains Zack finds the one damn forestry area. Unfortunately for me the vehicle mode I picked was too big to fit in-between the trees. Stupid Zack's little chassis could. I thought about transforming, but that would make too much noise. I don't want him knowing he's being fallowed. It would make this even harder then it is now. So I have to play the waiting game. There's only one road back to the Ark and I'm waiting by the entrance. Zack isn't getting by me on the way out.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Entry 4

May 27 8:04am

Fuck Zack!! All night I waited out here. No other bot came in or out of that damn forest. Including Zack. My GPS says there's nothing but flat land in all directions. No road other then the one we came in on. So the jerk had to have gone out the back and off roaded all the way back to the Ark, or he went way out of his way to circle around me out of audio range to get back to the road. Great. A wasted night with no recharge and nothing to show for it.

Oh well. Now I know it's worth it to him to take drastic measures to be unnoticed. We'll see what the security cameras back at base have to say about what time he got back.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Entry 5

May 27, 9:30am

Hmmmm… Zack's better then I gave him credit for. He knows the camera's path and rotations. He snuck in completely unnoticed. Well, not completely. Lucky for me my brother is only the smartest bot in the universe, not to mention a genius when it comes to computers. The time on Zack's door lock? Thirty five minutes ago. And he's still in his room. The little fucker was out all night. Oh this will not end well for him. I'm GOING to find out what he's trying to hide. Count on it.

~!~!~!~!~!~

The start of Wildfire's epic quest.

It's Zack's secrecy and ninja disappearing skills

vs.

Wildfire's determination and ninja hunting skills

How will this end?


	11. Clicking

They fought. A LOT. It usually didn't matter about what. The ranking officers were at a loss of what to do with the two of them. They couldn't figure out why they seemed to hate each other so much.

Sitting behind bars of a cell in the brig yet again, Wildfire was wrapped in up in her own thoughts. Usually when she was locked up and told to "think about what she had done," it entailed her thinking of ways not to get caught the next time she did something. But tonight was different. She had gotten into another fight with Zack. She had finally pissed him off enough that he wasn't screaming about his paint job when the punches started flying. This fight was pretty bad too. It had started with name calling and ended with blows being exchanged in the rec room. By the time Jazz, Mirage and Hound had them pulled apart a table was beyond repair and the chairs where going to be have to sent to Wheeljack to be fixed. The fight was bad enough that even after they were both restrained Zack was still cursing, and not all of it was about his paint. Wildfire was still egging the black mech on which had prompted Jazz to say: "Girl… you have got a serious problem." She must have taken one too many hits to the head if she was thinking about that and not revenge. She was still sporting large wicked looking gashes in her armor from Zack's claws. They where irritating but that wasn't what was bothering her.

She had to admit some part of her wanted to get to the bottom of her so called "anger issues." Not for any real personal reason, but just so that everyone would leave her the hell alone. Optimus had made her sit down and try to talk her issues out with a few different mechs. All of which had royally pissed her off. Optimus meant well, but he wasn't helping. Wildfire just wasn't one to open up and she let them know what she thought about their inference in her life. Now no bot was brave enough to have a sit down with her after what had happened to the others. Smokescreen had ended up in the med bay, Bluestreak had refused to even be in the same room as her for a good few weeks and Perceptor was still cleaning up his lab. The only one of her would be therapists that had made any progress with her (and escaped unharmed) was Jazz. But even the great saboteur was left frustrated and no closer to finding an answer. But then she knew the answer.

"You're thinking loudly. Knock it off!"

"You can't hear me think! You knock it off!"

Zack ignored Wildfire in favor of scratching obscene messages into the floor of his cell with his claws.

"You're sitting there all serious like your filming the dramatic climax of some prison movie. Knock it off. Your even MORE unattractive when you're trying to be serious."

Wildfire bit her glossa before she could escalate the fight and farther.

"So here's a processor teaser. Why the hell do you think we fight so much?"

"Oh what? Now you're really "thinking about what you've done?"

"So what if I am?"

"I use this time to think about revenge. Maybe you should try that."

"I want revenge as much as ever. I just want to spend less time here. Is that alright with you?"

"I blame society."

"Why?"

"Because I can."

"That's a shitty excuse."

"So what? Problem solved. Case closed."

"You watch too many cop shows."

"You watch too much science slag. Primus are you a warrior of a freakn' scientist?"

"Leave history channel out of this! SEE! You're picking a fight! This is your fault!"

"It's your anger management problem. On one else has a problem with me."

Wildfire went quiet and turned her back to the truck.

"Whatever, stop talking." She snapped.

"Did I strike a nerve receptor? Or are you just pouting about your history channel?"

"Pouting." Wildfire lied. "Now leave me and my history channel alone."

If Zack really left her alone she didn't notice. The mustang hugged her legs and rested her chin on her knee joints. It hadn't dawned on her at first since everything about coming to Earth had been topsy turvy. She didn't fit in with the Autobots and she was sure she never would. However she had grown accustom to them and all their quirks and strange behavior that she hadn't been raised with. Dare she say that she had become comfortable being around them. But as she settled into this new life, all the pain of her old one seemed to be coming back to haunt her. She didn't really fight with Zack because she hated him. She fought with him because he was exactly like her brother Redline, and she missed their play fights terribly.

Before she had come to Earth she had a family. Wildfire shut her optics down and tried to will herself to not remember, but that never worked. Zack was too much like Redline. The truck always reminded her of him.

Redline, one of her brother in arms. He'd been a seeker that didn't find killing innocent civilians as fun as his brothers did. He'd abandoned the Decepticons before the war and joined Wildfire's creator's battle unit. He had been beautifully painted mech. Pure white with red highlights and sleek ruby lines down his wings. Crimson optics always making sure he was the best looking mech of the bunch of them. He was just as careful about his paint job as Zack was, and look out if you scratched his finish. While he had a good spark he still had the rough attitude all seekers seemed to share. Some Con like traits still lingered near the surface in him. Wildfire had looked up to her older brother like he was Primus incarnate; he had even taught her how to fly behind her creator's back. But like all older siblings still he picked on his little sister, calling her names and taunting her to the point where they ended up fighting until someone pulled the two apart. Every fight always ended with Redline pinning the smaller fem to the ground and letting her squirm and yell until her creator had to order the seeker to let her go. She had enjoyed their fights; Redline had taught her much about fighting. It seemed that she had picked up quite a few of his bad habits. Like fighting with teammates for one. Though she couldn't blame him, it was how Decepticons where raised. It was how he had helped raise her to grow up to be tough warrior and she was grateful for it.

STOP! she ordered herself. Stop right now!

But she couldn't stop. Everything started flooding back to her conscious mind. Memories of her creators, her other brother, her "uncle." Every memory as painful as it was when it was first inflicted. Millions of years of memories that had been suppressed come boiling up and threatened to make her brake down.

Don't start clicking, don't start clicking, don't start clicking, don't start clicking! She repeated over and over.

The last thing she wanted to do was start clicking in front of Zack. Clicking was what sparklings did when they were separated from or lost their creators, basically the Cybertronion version of crying. All bots eventually grew out of clicking, once a young transformer reached a certain age they lost the ability to make the sad little noise. Wildfire definitely didn't want anyone to know she was still young enough to click. Lest of all Zack.

"What was that?" Zack asked loudly.

For once Wildfire was grateful to Zack for pulling her out of her thoughts.

"What was what?"

"You just made a noise."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did! It sounded like a… click! Primus… are you clicking?!"

"WHAT?! Where the hell did you get that from bit brain?!"

"You did! You totally clicked!"

"Do I look like a sparkling to you rust face?! I was humming a song!"

"I thought you said that you didn't say anything?"

"I'm sorry, apparently the voices in my head seemed to have slipped out!"

Zack laughed and clapped his claws together.

"You so clicked! Oh this is great! Everyone is going to love this little bit of gossip! I can't believe it myself! I never thought you'd be this young! Ooooh I can only imagine what Ratchet will do to you when he finds out! OOOH! Or Prowl? Or Optimus?! You are going to be in soooooooo much trouble! Lying about your age to join the army! OOooo that is bad! This is going to be the sweetest revenge of all!" Zack cackled as he drummed his claws together.

Wildfire bowed her head into her knees but didn't look up at Zack. When the arguing stopped Zack turned to look at the fem in the other cell.

"What's a matter sparkling? Are you gonna start clicking? Sparkling want her creator?" Zack teased.

There was a pause and then a soft hiccupping of vents. Zack looked curiously at the transformer in the other cell. The bright red paint had faded to a dull rust color and the black flames where no longer bright and shiny. Wildfire shook a little as Zack gave her a funny look.

"Hey! HEY!" Zack demanded. "What… what are you doing? Hey! Come on say something damn it!"

Wildfire still stayed curled up; then there was a tiny hiccup and then…

"Click." A pause. "Click."

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Zack demanded.

Click… hiccup… click click click… hiccup.

"H-hey! Come on! You're just faking! C-cut that out!"

Hiccup click! Click chirp click!

"Stop it out! Seriously you're freaking me out!"

Wildfire hugged her legs closer and started clicking louder when Zack tried to get her to stop. She shivered and clicked as Zack stood up and walked over to the bars to get a better look.

"Hey… hey! Come on, what's wrong?"

Wildfire shook her head in her knees.

"M-my creator was murdered!" She sobbed into her legs. "My whole family was m-murdered! I've been all alone for five million y-years!"

Zack was taken aback by the admission and suddenly felt like the biggest exhaust pipe in the world. No wonder she clicked, she had forever lost her creator at a ridiculously young age.

"Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Just l-leave me a-alone afthead!"

"L-look, if I'd have known that your family was… you know… I wouldn't have said anything."

"Maybe you s-should have thought about that first!"

Zack stood helpless on his end of the bars as the younger transformer continued to click. The black mech grumbled softly. He could never handle another bot clicking, let alone a fem. It was a need buried deep in all transformer's core programming to comfort and care for a clicking sparkling. Much like the need humans had to take care of their own young. Zack felt agitated as a need to console Wildfire gripped his spark. Stupid baser programming! He quickly called Ratchet on his intercom. He informed the medic that Wildfire needed medical attention and tried to convince himself that Ratchet would deal with the clicking fem for him.

"There! Ratchet is on his way. Now will you PLEASE stop clicking? It's killing me."

Wildfire gradually calmed down and stopped clicking after a handful of moments. Zack cycled a sigh of relief as his spark relaxed. Now if Ratchet could get here she would be his problem. On cue the red and white ambulance appeared at the mouth of the brig in his usual foul mood. The door swished open as the medic continued on his rant.

"… am front liners always making my life the pits. We haven't even had an attack and I'm STILL required to patch up idiots."

Ratchet stopped outside the pair of cells with his hands on his hips and a scowl on his face.

"I swear Primus loves to make my life hard. Not only did he "gift" me with Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, he gave me YOU two! At least with those two I'm just hammering out dents and repainting some poor unfortunate spark. But with YOU two I'm always welding one of you back into one piece."

"Can you just take a look at her and get her out of here?" Zack grumbled as he turned his back to them. "She's getting on my nerves."

Ratchet grumbled as he let himself into Wildfire's cell to examine her. Wildfire had uncurled herself and sat cross legged in the middle of her cell.

"Come on, let's see where your hurt this time."

Wildfire obediently lifted her arm to show the medic the four deep scars in her side and chest. Ratchet did a quick visual inspection and then tested the wounds with a gentle finger. Wildfire flinched when he touched an exposed wire in one of the wounds and found more in the others. Convinced that she wasn't faking the injury Ratchet helped the fem to her feet.

"Let's get you to the med bay. Ratchet to Prime."

Zack turned around while Ratchet was distracted calling the commander to see how Wildfire was doing. He almost blew a gasket at what he saw. Wildfire was smirking at him while Ratchet had her back to her. Zack sputtered and he leapt to the bars and curled his claws around them. The fem mouthed "too easy" at him right before Ratchet turned back around.

"Alright lets go."

"WAIT!" Zack yelled. "She's faking!! Leave her lying aft here!"

"Lying?! YOU'RE the one that called me down here." Ratchet snorted as he pushed Wildfire out of the cell. "And it's my medical opinion that those claws of yours sliced her secondary motor cables. She needs medical attention."

"BUT SHE'S FAKING! Can't you see it?! SHE USED ME TO GET OUT!"

"Get over yourself!" Ratchet snapped.

As the medic led the fem out Zack fallowed them as far as his cell would allow snarling and howling about the deception. Wildfire's face remained frozen in the smirk the entire way. The look held until right before she passed by the doorway leading out of the brig. There it faltered and started to crumble away. Zack's ranting lapsed as they passed out into the hall and the door closed. Zack's hands slipped from the bars as he fell into silence. He had been a spy before, and accustom to reading mechs and sizing them up in nano clicks. Even for the briefest of seconds, he read in Wildfire's face the amount of pain and suffering of a life that was longer than hers could possibly be. She couldn't fake that.

~!~!~!~!

Zack was left alone for a few more hours until Ratchet came back down to check on him after he had released Wildfire from his care. The CMO found his soon to be patient lounging at the back of his cell seemingly lost in thought.

"Alright you." Ratchet said in a slightly better mood this time. "Wildfire was agreeable enough this time around, let's have a repeat performance from you."

Zack didn't put up any fight and was on his best behavior as he was marched from the brig to up to the med bay. Ratchet was almost concerned that both of them where behaving so well. The pits much have frozen over. After his scans where complete the medic found no real damage to the black pick up. It looked like he was the one that had dished out the punishment this time around. There was only minor dings, dents and some easily repaired scratches. When Zack didn't demand to be repainted that very instant Ratchet knew something was amiss.

"I know she didn't tear out your glossa or vocalizer…" he mused out loud. "So has a cat-bot got your tongue?"

"Hmm?" Zack started, seeming to come out of a daydream. "oh… no. It's nothing."

"Nothing my aft. You scream bloody murder every time somebot so much as brushes by you. And you're telling me that you're not chomping on the bit for me to fix up these tiny little dings? What? Do I not do a good enough job for you now?"

"I'm quiet and not bothering you for once in your life and you're offended by that?"

"No, just concerned about what's going on in that thick processor of yours."

"Well stop it. Your annoying."

"ANNOYING!"

Zack couldn't scamper out of the med bay fast enough. A wrench nicked the back of his head before he could get around a corner to safety.

"Stupid annoying HATCHET!" Zack grumbled as he rubbed the back of his head.

The black mech did his best to avoid everyone in the corridors. He took the long way to Wildfire's quarters as he sorted out his thoughts. It was a slim chance seeing as the fem was rarely on base and hardly ever in her room when she was. She still might be there after getting medical treatment. Once he was outside her quarters he stood before the door for a while still thinking about what he was going to say. When he did finally knock it produced nothing. He tried the door chime next and that produced sings of life on the other side. When the door opened Wildfire looked normal, like absolutely nothing had happened. Her paint was bright once more and the slashes in her side where expertly welded closed. The fem snorted when she saw who it was.

"I don't know about you, but I've had enough fighting for one day."

"I'm not here to fight. I want to apologize."

"Apologize? For what? Being a totally gullible sap? Please it was so easy to manipulate you I feel like I should be the one apologizing."

Zack felt a twinge of irritation but pushed it aside. He would finish what he came here to do without starting another altercation.

"Look. I don't care what you say right now. I know what you said down there and I understand. The Decepticons did whatever they did to you in the past and you hate them. You have every right to be I'm sure. At least now I understand now why you hate me. I won't be a problem anymore."

Zack had expected a lot of things but the confused look on Wildfire's face wasn't one of them.

"I understand that you can't forgive me and my past. I'll stay away from now on. I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am." Now finished Zack turned to leave.

"HEY!" Wildfire snapped.

Zack spun back around expecting to dodge a punch to the face. He didn't have too. Wildfire looked uncomfortable and folding her arms nervously. She seemed to be frustrated at being at a loss for words.

"I don't… I don't hate you."

"You… don't?"

"No I don't. You just annoy me."

"Thank you?" Zack questioned

Wildfire looked up and down the hall making sure no bot else was around. She motioned for Zack to fallow her back into her room and the pick up did so with trepidation. He was sure no one had EVER been in Wildfire's quarters besides her spark twin. It looked a lot different then what Zack had expected. It was small, smaller then even his room and sparsely furnished. It looked hardly lived in. Which did make sense seeing as the fem spent more time with the humans then her own kind. The moment the door was closed Wildfire rounded on him with a glare and a snarled threat.

"If you ever mention ANY of this to ANYONE EVER, I will hunt your down and kill you the most horrible way I can imagine!"

"That's pretty horrible then."

Wildfire glared and put her hands on her hips.

"Then you damn well better not say a thing."

Zack stayed quiet waiting for a explanation. The red fem snorted and seemed to be struggling with herself.

"I don't hate Cons alright?"

"Alright." Zack was starting to think that Wildfire didn't know what she was doing herself.

He waited patiently as the warrior started to pace back and forth. Apparently whatever she was going to tell him was important. She looked highly agitated; like she was trying to talk herself out of whatever she was planning. Zack was tempted to tell her that he didn't need to know, but now he wanted to see what she was hiding.

"Primus damn it." Zack heard her mutter. "Ok ok ok! Leave me alone!"

Zack looked around the room but found no one else.

"Me?" He asked.

"No, Tek." Wildfire grumbled. "He keeps tell me… never mind it doesn't matter."

"Am I going to get an answer? Or should I leave?"

"I had another brother!" Wildfire blurted out suddenly.

"Another twin? You where a trine?"

"No. Not a twin. Just a brother."

"I'm confused now."

Wildfire leaned against the back wall and didn't look at Zack. In fact she looked anywhere but at the black mech.

"He was a friend of my creators, and he was a seeker."

"So?" When it finally dawned on Zack what that meant his visor lit up with uncontrolled surprise. "OOOH! He was a Decepticon!"

"Sort of. He left before the war stared, but… he still acted like one from time to time."

"Soooo… you don't want anyone to know you where raised a Decepticon. I can see why. I mean everything about you makes a whole lot more since now. I'm sure somebot just won a bet."

"I don't care what anyone thinks about my brother!" Wildfire snapped angrily.

"Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it."

"I just… wanted you know that…"

"You wanted me to know what?"

Wildfire snorted angrily and shook her head.

"I can't believe I'm telling you this…" she grumbled in a low voice. "You remind me of him ok?! Your both stubborn aftheads that are so obsessed with your own reflections that you…!! OOOOOOOH you both make me so mad! There that's it! Now you know and it's going to stop bothering me."

"So I remind you of your brother…" Zack mused aloud. "Your Decepticon brother."

Zack half grinned when he realized why he and Wildfire fought so much.

"Your just playing with me aren't you?"

"What?" Wildfire snapped.

"That's how Decepticons play, we fight with each other."

"Your insane."

"My guess is you and your brother fought a lot."

Wildfire gave the black mech a look that said both "how'd you know that?" and "don't pry anymore you bastared."

"Yeah, that's what I thought. That was his version of play, but I bet you already knew that. You should have told me sooner."

"It's none of your business!"

"Yeah, but I would have understood. So, where you creators Decepticons too?"

"GET OUT!" Wildfire yelled.

"Sorry! Touchy! I was just wondering."

"Well they weren't! There's the door, get the hell out!"

Zack took the hint and left the angry soldier's barracks before something bad happened. The truck transformer grinned to himself as he made his way back to his own quarters. He felt better knowing he wasn't alone. Sure Wildfire wasn't technically a former Con, but she was raised with the basics. That was enough to make Zack feel less like and outsider. Now he was actually looking forward to their next inevitable fight. He could be a little of himself. Besides, fighting Wildfire might be a little fun.


	12. Sparkling

A snap shot of Wildfire as a sparkling. So cute!

~!~!~!~!~!~!

Wildfire made and unhappy chirp as she watched the older bots drink their pretty cubes. Her big blue optics darkened when she went further unnoticed by her caretakers. Furious at being ignored the little red and black sparkling crawled over to the nearest leg and used it to pull herself up to her feet. Still no one seemed to take notice that she was unhappy.

"Click click chirp!"

Nothing from the bots that where supposed to take care of her. Extremely angry now the sparkling curled one small hand into a fist and gave the leg she was using to support herself the best imitation of a punch she could do. It was little more then a tap.

"Hmmm?"

A hand at lest three times the sparkling's size descended upon her and scooped her up.

"Well, look who we have here!"

Wildfire chirped loudly and waved her little arms in a tantrum. The royal purple and grey bot holding her smiled warmly as he set the little one down on his lap. Red optics cast a soft glow on the sparkling's unhappy dark gray face. The behemoth of a mech gently tickled the sparkling's middle.

"Hey Cam! Oryx!" the bot playing the little one said a little more loudly then was necessary. "Look who decided to join the party."

Across the circle the five fully grown mechs made up, the leader of the band looked up from his cube of energon. His deep azure optics looked first to the large purple bot addressing him and then to the sparkling he was entertaining on his lap. The blue and white mech next to him also looked up. When he saw the sparkling he didn't seem happy that she was out.

"V, she's supposed to be recharging. How did she get out of her crib?"

"Aw come on Oryx," V said as he kept tickling the sparkling's middle with a massive claw like finger much to her delight. "She just wants to have a little fun."

The tiny red sparkling chirped happily as she played with the mechs fingers. Her little wings fluttering happily as the enormous gray digits poked at her when she grabbed hold of them. Oryx started to stand to retrieve the sparkling and put her back to recharge when he was stopped. The medic looked back at his mate. The big, camouflaged helicopter smiled warmly.

"Let her have a few breems."

The medic sighed and sat back down, though he didn't seem to happy about it.

"Fine, but you'll be the one trying to get her to go to back to recharge."

"I will."

"Ah love." V said trailing a large finger claw down Wildfire's miniature nose as the sparkling giggled. "Such time and energy wasted on a such lowly emotion. Good thing we don't have anything to do with love right sparkling?"

Wildfire clicked happily. The great Decepticon lowered his masked face to the infant cybortronion who gleefully grabbed hold of his battle mask and pulled her own face closer to imitate the big bot.

"Just between you and me, I think you'll grow up to be a scientist like your uncle V." the purple bot whispered. "Your too smart to get mixed up in emotions."

The young fem chirped in agreement, though she didn't know what she was agreeing to. Off to the right there was a soft moan that caught both mech and sparkling's attention. Wildfire recognized the last two of her guardians and clicked a greeting. It went unnoticed as both where too busy being attached at the face plates. The fem sparkling cooed, curious as to what was more important then her and what she wanted. V threw a scowl over his shoulder at the pair and gave the flyer model a swift kick with a large leg.

"Would you knock it off! The sparkling's right here!"

"Slag off!" The flyer grunted as he clutched his partner tighter.

"R-Redline, please…" The smaller mech said. "Not in front of the sparkling."

"It's gotta learn about overloading some." Redline snapped. "Now buzz off V, I earned my fun."

The blue and white medibot reached over and gave one of the seeker's wings and hard tweak right on the aileron.

"HEY WHATCH THE PAINT!" The tartar jet yelped.

He released his mate who expertly twisted out of reach as the pissed medic gave the other wing a twist and pulled the flyer off his seat to the ground. The jet started fighting back but when the medic grabbed his neck and pressed his thumb into a certain wire the much larger mech fell limp.

"Listen you…" Oryx growled. "You wont be teaching my sparkling anything of the like. Do you understand?"

The Decepticon seeker tired to move his mouth but even his vocalizer was paralyzed. After a silent moment the medic let him go, satisfied the flyer had learned his lesson. The jet sat up slowly rubbing his neck cables throwing a nasty glare at Oryx.

"You BETTER not have scraped my paint you son of a…!"

"Watch you mouth around the sparkling Redline!"

While the jet was still recovering from his paralysis his mate was standing at V's side.

"My apologies." The small orange and black mech said looking up at the other.

"It's not your fault Nova." V huffed. "I had hopped your manors might rub off on him."

"I am trying." The lethal looking mech promised. "May I see her?"

While the older bots where talking Wildfire had crawled to the end of her current caretaker's lap and was trying to find a way down. She was intent on getting her hands on her favorite toy; her older brother Redline's pristine white wings. If only she could get to the floor. Before she could try anything she was scooped up into a new pair of arms. She clicked angrily at the loss of getting to her toy. Unaware that he had made her upset Nova made his way back to his seat with Wildfire. The sparkling clicked non stop as she squirmed in his arms. The dark mech tried to sooth her by rocking her back and forth but she wanted none of it.

"She doesn't like to be cradled on her back like that." Oryx said after watching Nova struggle. "It cramps her wings. Lay her on her side or let her sit up."

Nova offered an apologetic smile to the little one as he sat her upright on his lap. The red sparkling took a deep breath and let out a big sigh as she looked up at the older bot with a look that clearly said, "you'll get it right next time." Nova's baby blue optics softened as he stroked the sparkling's head and gave her a soft scratch behind one of her miniature audio sensors. Wildfire's wings dropped as she began to purr and leaned into the scratching. Nova chuckled and used a finger on his other hand to rub small circles on the tiny wings on her back that had been cramped the most. Wildfire of lined her optics and purred louder. Cam smiled warmly at his subordinate and friend.

"You're good with her. You'll make a fine creator someday."

Nova looked up and smiled sheepishly.

"I… I don't know about that."

"Hey!" Redline snapped as he stepped in front of Nova. "That THING is in my spot!"

The seeker pointed a sharp finger at the sparkling in his mate's lap. Wildfire perked up as she turned to look up at her white and red brother. Her wings and arms lifted up towards the seeker wanting to be picked up as she chirped excitedly. Redline growled as Wildfire curled and uncurled her little fingers in his direction. The seeker glared at the diminutive Cybertronion and her face fell. Her wings drooped into a sad looking upside-down "V" when her brother turned his back on her and refused to look at her when she chirped at him gloomily. Nova lightly bounced her up and down.

"There there little one." Nova said as he picked up the sparkling under her arm joints and continued to bounce her. "Your brother's just jealous I like you better then him."

"HEY!" Redline yelled as he whipped back around to face the two smaller bots. "That's not how you talk to your bond mate you ungrateful…!"

"See?" Nova grinned at Wildfire who's face brightened a little. "He's just a jealous sparkling. He falls for the oldest trick programmed in the data pad."

Redline's mouth snapped closed with a very loud "snap." Everyone kept their mirth too themselves until the sparkling giggled out loud. Then everyone busted up laughing.

"SHUT UP!" The seeker snarled at everyone.

He shot another harsh look the little one's way but she only laughed harder and reached for him again. Utterly beaten the seeker slammed himself down into a new seat beside his bond mate and the sparkling. He refused to look at the youngling that only wanted his attention.

"Stupid blasted sparkling!" He grumbled as he picked up his cube of high grade. "Good for nothing, interfering heap of scrap metal!"

The jet took a long swig of his cube and Wildfire's optics lit up. She watched her brother drained the pretty liquid transfixed.

"Click click click click click click click!!" She said enthusiastically to her seeker brother.

Her little black finger pointed at the prettiness as she bounced herself on Nova's lap. She wanted some of that!

"Oh no!" Nova scolded as he rested the sparkling over his shoulder. "That's not for you."

Wildfire chirped loudly as she made a face at the denial of what she wanted.

"If your hungry you have your own special engergon. That's your brother's high grade and you can't have it."

Redline's crimson optics suddenly lit up with a devious idea. With a fluid grace only seekers had he quickly snatched the delicate youngling out of his mate's arms. The sparkling easily fit in one hand, wings and all.

"Hang on a click!" Redline practically sang. "Let's see what happens if she had some!"

"Don't even THINK about it!" Oryx shouted. "She's barely a few hundred stellar cycles old! Her systems can't process regular energon yet let alone high grade!"

"Come on doc bot," Redline grinned as he held the sparkling and high grade just out of reach of each other. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"Famous last words." V grumbled as he stood, ready to stop the seeker before he did anything stupid.

Wildfire reached for the nice-looking pick and purple liquid and got her little hands on it right as everything started to happen. Oryx jumped to his feet and both he and V moved on Redline. The seeker leapt behind Nova who's only concern was the young sparkling who now had sole possession of the cube of high grade.

"You put her down this INSTANT!" The medic raged.

"Please Redline," Nova begged. "At lest take the cube away before she makes herself sick."

The jet only leered at them all. Oryx lunged for the air warrior who danced out of the way leaving his mate to catch the falling medic. While the pursuit was going on Wildfire put her face to the cube to see if she could make it disappear like her brother did. Right as she did Redline jerked and it spilled all over her. She quickly dropped the cube to the floor as she put her hands up to her optics to wipe away the stuff that was quickly drying. Her stubby wings flapped up and down as she clicked in confusion.

"Now look what you've done you slagger!!" Oryx shouted.

"Who needs to watch their language now?" Redline sing sang.

"Red…" Cam said finally.

All optics turned to their leader as the powerful mech stood.

"Put the sparkling down. Now please." he said in the quiet "do as I say" voice.

"NO!" Redline snorted. "I'm playing with her! Come on let's go for a fly!"

Having forgotten about being upset, Wildfire squealed happily as the seeker got airborne. Clicking excitedly Wildfire looked up at her brother and only smiled more when he smirked down at her.

"So you like flying do ya?"

Wildfire chirped happily in response. Everything was fine… for about two seconds. V got a hold of one of Redline's legs and kept he from flying off.

"Get down here you overgrown windbag!"

The seeker snarled and kicked at the hand holding him down.

"You break my thruster I break your face!" Redline roared.

Redline yipped as he was dragged back down to tarra frima in a crash landing. V, who always seemed to forget just how ridiculously strong he was overcharged or not, brought the seeker back to the ground with such force that the jet lost his grip on the little sparkling. The seeker trashed and kicked himself free of the immense mech and leapt on him punching and kicking.

"YOU AFT!! YOU GOT YOUR UGLE PURPLE ON ME!"

As the two Decepticons fought in the seconds after the crash landing Wildfire hit the ground hard and tumbled end over end a few times before coming to land on her aft roughly. Her legs sprawled out in front of her with her hands in between her knees looking like she had just sat down. V and Redline stopped mid punch in their fight. Everyone was silent with optics glued to the sparkling to see what she would do.

Wildfire's vocalizer warbled and then she began to hiccup. The new Cybertronion hardly ever truly cried, instead her vocalizer would hiccup in a sad, helpless way that tugged on everyone's spark more then if she had. Wildfire sat motionless hiccupping and Oryx exploded on the two mechs.

"WHAT THE PIT WHERE YOU TWO THINKING?! YOU COULD HAVE KILLED MY SPARKING!!"

"You have another one!" Redline protested.

That was the wrong thing for the seeker to say. As Oryx pounced on them, ready to turn the two of them into a garbage scowl, Cam came to the sparkling's rescue. He knelt beside her and Wildfire threw up her arms and started clicking loudly. Her bright optics where dulled to a dark blue and her face cried "I'm hurt!"

"Hush little one…" Cam cooed softly as he scooped up his sparkling. "Your ok."

Wildfire buried her face in Cam's chest plates as she clicked and clicked her distress. The large helicopter sent her a comforting spark pulse which immediately calmed the little one. Cam stroked the clicking sparkling tenderly.

"It's alright," He reassured her. "Your brother's are just a little rough. But you're a tough little spark aren't you?"

Wildfire chirped weakly a few times in response. Gently Cam stroked her back between her wings and watched as they started to flutter.

"See? All better. When you get bigger you'll put them in their place won't you?"

The little sparkling looked up at her creator and cood softly. She was given a soothing pat on the head to let her know she was alright.

"Well look at you now." Cam mock sighed. "You where only supposed to be up for a few more breems and you've managed to get covered optic to skid plate in high grade. You're going to need a bath."

The sparkling twitched her nose and looked confused by the words but still chirped in response to the claming tone. With a playful light in his optics Cam lifted on little arm and carefully nibbled on the fingers the where covered in dried energon. Wildfire squealed with laughter as she tried to bat her creator away and get her fingers back.

"Nom nom nom! You taste good, I think I'll eat you." Cam teased.

The big mech reversed the air intake system in his chest and blew warm air over the little sparking who giggled as she put her arms over her face. Now in reach again Cam started nipping at her arms and shoulders. Wildfire squealed and tried to pull away as she batted her hands on her creators helmet.

"Nom nom! Look out it's Unicron come to eat you up!"

Nova, who had been quietly watching both series of events unfold, smiled and tapped the enraged medic on the shoulder.

"WHAT?! Oryx yelled.

He was in the middle of welding Redline's wings together and removing the ailerons much to the seeker's distress and pain.

"Perhaps you shouldn't miss this moment?" Nova offered as he pointed back behind the medic.

Oryx whirled around and what he saw made him let go of the seeker's wings. Everyone's spark softened as they watched creator and creation play. Cam cradled Wildfire in one arm and with the other tickled her wings while he continued to try and nibble on her arms and helmet. The sparkling's laughter was clear and light as she was kissed on the forehead. Cam then stroked her nose with a finger and the sparkling clamed down from the excitement.

"Well," Cam started with a smile. "I do believe that we've all had enough excitement for now. I think we should all get to recharge."

"Not before I rewire top gun here into a shuttle craft!"

"NOOOOO!! I don't wanta be a fat ugly shuttle!" Redline howled.

Cam sighed as he walked over to his mate. He rested his free hand on his CMO's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.

"We need our flyer to actually be able to fly."

"Ooooooh no! He is NOT going to get away with this! I'm not letting you NOT punish him this time!"

"Oryx, I promise you. I'm going to punish him. Now if you please… give him back his wings."

Oryx and Cam had a stand off for a tense few moments, but in the end Oryx snapped a curse and put the seeker back together. Redline rubbed his sore wings as best he could as he stood to look as his commander.

"Thanks boss bot! You know how much I like my wings."

Cam looked anything but pleased with him. Oryx, V and Nova made a circle around him all folding their arms and looking very unhappy as flyer twitched his wings in frustration. Wildfire looked back over her shoulder watching intently at what going on with the big bots.

"Whaaat?! I was playing with her!"

"That was not play Redline." Cam said sternly. "Wildfire is too young to be treated so roughly."

"That wasn't rough…" Redline grumbled to himself.

"And sense you where the one to make such a mess," Cam held out Wildfire.

The sparkling giggled as the seeker's nose crumpled in disgust.

"You'll be cleaning Wildfire up and putting her down for recharge."

"Are you insane?!" Oryx snapped.

"What he said!" Redline agreed.

"No I am not. Red, you caused all this trouble your going to fix it. Understand?"

Wildfire clicked at the seeker, reaching her arms out for him to pick her up.

~!~!~!~!~

Redline scowled at the sparkling as she giggled and continued splashing the cleaning solution she was sitting in. He leaned back up against the far wall in the tiny wash rack. He was sure the sparkling had loosened a few bolts in his leader's processor. How dare Cam make him do this. It was beneath him. He flinched when a rather powerful splash nearly got solution on his perfect legs.

"Knock it off!" He snapped at the sparkling.

He watched as her blue optics looked up at him through a sheet of bubbles. Then his warning was promptly ignored as the little fembot went back to entertaining herself. He didn't like sparklings. This one inparticular. All his Autobot teammates and even V seemed to love her. His mate Nova especially seemed to adore the little ball of spare parts. Autobots where all the same; sentimental. There was no use for a sparkling way out here at the rim of the galaxy fighting the most elite of Decepticons. She was an unwanted distraction. There was a knock on wash rack door.

"Don't forget to scrub under her arms!" Oryx snapped.

"Whatever."

Redline tossed the cleaning rag he had been holding at the sparkling. It landed on her head with a "flop." Wildfire giggled as her tiny hands lifted up part of the rag that was two times her size. Her face peeked out at him and then she dropped the rag only to pick it back up and look his way again. The seeker snorted and turned his face away. Oryx and Cam where both crazy if they honesty believed he was going give their sparkling a bath, or do anything for the ugly little thing he hated. He should be curled up with Nova right now either overloading him or being overloaded himself. He should NOT be here. The sudden lack of noise drew Redline's attention back to the sparkling. She was sitting still in her cleaning solution with the cleaning rag half draped over her face and body. She clicked at the jet and then tugged on the rag.

"Clean yourself!" The seeker barked at her.

The sparkling clicked again and tugged a little harder on the rag. This time she chirped in pain and let go.

"Oh now what?!" Redline snapped.

The seeker stomped over to the small transformer and looked her over.

"You got the rag stuck on your wing you stupid, idiotic thing!"

Redline jerked the rag off the little red appendage and dropped it back on the sparkling's head in a sopping wet pile. He stormed back to his place on the wall and slammed his shoulder into it. He hoped that now the sparkling would shut up. She did, for a while. Then, just as Redline was getting comfortable in the quiet, the sparkling started to hiccup. Redline snorted.

"I'm not listening you!" the jet snapped.

The hiccupping didn't stop and soon it turned into crying clicks. Now he was forced to investigate. The seeker snorted and removed the rag from the sparkling's head. Underneath, Wildfire clicked sadly as she tried to hold onto her wing that the rag had been stuck on.

"Oh come on that couldn't have hurt!" Redline protested.

The sparkling didn't stop crying and even flinched away from him when he reached for her.

"Oh stop, I'm not going to hurt you."

Redline reached out and started to rub small circles on the little wing. Being a seeker he knew how sensitive wings could be. Though Oryx said that most sparklings where sparked with wings of some kind and they usually disappeared when the sparkling scanned a vehicle and transformed for the first time. Wildfire paused in her crying at the gentle touch. The red and white Decepticon huffed as the wing started to relax. When he felt he had spent enough time soothing the appendage he started to take his hand away. Wildfire quickly wrapped both arms around his wrist and pressed her face to his arm.

"Come on…" Redline mumbled quietly. "Let go of me you pint sized processor ache."

Wildfire chirped into his wrist and held onto him. Even a tug wouldn't get her to release him. She snuggled his arms the jet sighed. With nothing else left to do Redline picked up the cleaning cloth, rug it out and gently started to clean the energon off her little frame. Redline took his time cleaning the fem who still refused to let go of him. About an oron later Wildfire was completely clean and Redline was drying her off.

"Ok ok ok. Your clean. Can you let me go now?" The seeker asked.

Wildfire looked up at him and clicked. One arm let go and reached up at him. With a snort the seeker picked up the sparkling, holding her close to his chest.

"There! Happy now?"

Wildfire rested her head on Redline's chest and purred happily. Redline shuttered his red optics as the sparkling nuzzled closer, chirping tiredly.

"Ooook… now what?"

The older bot felt the sparkling give off a tiny spark pulse of contentment as she started to slip into recharge. Redline made a face and then sighed as he curled both arms around the little one.

"Don't you dare tell anyone about this alright?!"

Redline carefully sent a return spark pulse which Wildfire answered with a coo and her optics switched off. When the seeker emerged from the was rack with a clean, sleeping sparkling no one could believe it.

"Did you drug her?" Oryx asked suspiciously.

"NO!" Redline snapped. "And shut up! She's recharging! Do you have ANY idea how long it took to get her to do that?"

"I know how long." the blue and white medic grumbled as he walked over. "Now give her here."

"Take the brat." Redline snorted.

Oryx tried to take his sparkling back but when he got his hands on her she clicked angrily and held on tighter to her perch. Redline tried to get her off him but he couldn't get her to budge either.

"She's become attached to you Redline." Cam smiled. "I think she wants to recharge with you."

"No no no no no! Absolutely not! Not going to happen! Never! NO!"

~!~!~!~!~

Nova was sitting up on his and Redline's shared berth when his bond mate walked in. The lethal black and orange mech looked up from the data pad he had been reading at the annoyance at was leaking through their bond. His optics locked on to the sparkling snoozing on his mate's chest above his canopy.

"We're sparkling sitting tonight." The seeker growled.

"Alright." Nova said as he made room for his mate to lay down. "I can take her if you want."

"HA! You can try." Redline guffawed. "The little monster won't let go."

The seeker folded his wings back and laid down on his side. The sparkling squeaked and scrambled to hold on. Nova clicked softy at her as he managed to slip her off Redline to the berth where we wouldn't fall. Wildfire crawled back to her brother and curled up close, tucking her little hands under her head and fell quickly back into recharge. Redline snorted and made himself as comfortable as he could. Nova smiled as he turned off the lights in their quarters. He laid down behind Wildfire and gave his grumpy mate a kiss.

"You did really well with the sparkling."

"I just cleaned her."

"You don't give yourself enough credit. You'd be a great…"

"AH AH AH! Don't even think of finishing that sentence!"

"I was just going to say that, one day, you would be…"

"Don't you dare get any ideas! I hate sparklings!"

Sensing that his mate was in a disagreeable mood, Nova left the discussion at that and started shutting down for recharge. Redline huffed as he stroked the sparkling's wings. Alright, so maybe this sparking wasn't so bad after all. It had good taste in bots after all.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Wildfire awoke with a start and sat bolt upright, blue eyes glowing brightly in surprise. Tek set his free hand on Wildfire's that was crushing his forearm. The black flamed warrior relaxed her death grip on her brother's arm.

"S… sorry." She apologized.

"You where dreaming."

Wildfire shook her head and tried to smile.

"Thanks Tek. You can go back to your room now, I'm fine."

The icy blue Corvette sat down on his twin's berth by her side and picked up her hand.

"You haven't been fine in a long time."

Wildfire curled up closer to her brother and rested her head in the crook of his neck. Tek circled his arms around her and slowly rocked her back and forth. Their twin spark arched.

"I miss them so much!" Wildfire cried softly into her brother's neck.

Tek stroked the back of his sister's helmet as he mumbled soothing Cybertronion words to her.

"It will be alright. Everything will be alright…"

~ End

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Yes sad at the end I know! Don't hurt me!

So that's Wildfire's family. And for the record since I didn't get to explain all the bots here's the break down of everyone:

Cam (short for Commander)- Large CH-53E Super Stallion battle helicopter, but painted with brown, green and black camouflage. He's the Cybertronion equitant of a Samurai and those rotary blades he uses like swords. Even the smaller back blades become lethal daggers in his hands. He's also a more playful, but darker version of Optimus Prime personality wise.

Oryx- CMO of the "Ghost battalion" and Cam's bond mate. Rough and tumble front line medic he's the best at what he does. But don't expect comforting bedside manor. While he is dedicated to saving lives he has broken that Hippocratic Oath to cause harm to those who deserve it. It usually ends up being Redline. (I haven't decided on an alt mode from him but it would be something with wheels and medical related.)

Redline- One of two Decepticon models on the team. A renegade Seeker the grew up on the mean streets of Kaon. He was the best of the seekers at everything; flying, shooting (he seems to be the only seeker that CAN aim) drinking/getting drunk but not killing. He didn't find killing others fun, just a waste of time. He left when Megatron took over the city. He linked up with Cam's crew and when the war broke out he was suddenly fighting his own kind. THAT was worth killing. He's second in body count; only behind Cam. His alt mode is a military jet like all other seekers. Depending on the universe, he's either an F-15 eagle or an F-22 Raptor

Nova- quiet, reserved and completely lethal. Nova trades in the sheer brute power of his mate, for pin point accuracy and stealth. He is one the last bots trained in shadowy hit-and -run type style similar to human ninjas. No it is not call circuit-su, that was a stupid thing to call it. Nova's path was peaceful, even when the war started he wanted to leave cybertron and find a peaceful planet to settle on. But fate had other ideas. Nova puts his stealth to uses as the team's resident spy. When he can he, he uses non-lethal means to subdue Decepticons but when he has to… his enemies are dead before they even realize they've been hit. (I'm STILL tried to figure out what vehicle Nova would be, but I was thinking some kind of light armored military recon thing…)

V- long story about how he got his name. I'll explain later. The giant behemoth of a mech looks like a killer Decepticon; he is anything but. V is a kind, gentle scientist that has been persecuted everyday of his career. The scientific community was dominated by Autobots and no one took him seriously despite how brilliant he was. When the war broke out there was no way he could have continued down the path of science. His long time friend Oryx talked him into joining him on a special team. V serves as a jack of all trades, his often a weapon's maker, explosive expert, shield and a one bot demolition crew. He wants retribution on the Decepticons for ruining is scientific life and the lives of his friends. And so help them Primus if they even touch Wildfire! V is a triple changer, his primary vehicle mode is C-130J "Super" Hercules and his other is a T-90 tank but a much greater size.


	13. Jealous

I had to write this little snippet of a story as a kind of "prequel" to the next story to come. Even though it's not really connected, it's kind of background of why Zack hates Drift so much.

But DAMN. Zack is waaaaay jealous!!

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Sigh.

"Would you KNOCK IT OFF!"

Sigh.

"That's like the two millionth time you've done that! One more and I'll be putting a blaster bolt through the back of your head!"

"Isn't he dreamy?"

Zack did his best not to strangle Wildfire sitting next to him them in their hiding place.

"I swear to Primus if you don't close your mouth I'll do it for you!"

Wildfire sighed again as she rested her head in her hands. Her bright blue optics blinked on and off as the little smile she was wearing stayed plastered on her face. Zack elbowed her hard in the side.

"You picked the WORST possible time to start acting like an actual fem!"

Wildfire shrugged the black mech off and kept to her vigil of watching a white bot farther down the hill the two of them where stationed on. Zack did another check of their surroundings scene Wildfire clearly wasn't going to. The dense jungle vegetation hid them remarkably well and the thick canopy of trees above them was perfect for hiding from searching optics. Which was a necessary on a spy mission like the one they where on. Now if only Wildfire could get her act together they might get out of this one alive. Zack elbowed her again when Wildfire tried to move some of their cover to get a better look.

"Stop it or I'll kill you myself!"

"But I wanta' see him!" The red fem whined.

"UGGHHH! If you keep doing this I'll kill him!"

Wildfire gasped and looked downright scandalized.

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Ooooooh wouldn't I?"

"He'd kill you first!"

Zack did a human face palm.

"Can we just focus on the mission and staying alive right now? Please!"

"We're not going anywhere for a while! Besides I just want to look at him. Hey, did you know? He used to be a Decepticon?"

"YES! Yes I know Drift used to be a Decepticon! That's not the point! The point is we need to keep our heads down until we get the signal to attack or we are dead where we stand! So if you can please pull yourself together, get your game face on and drag yourself out of your retarded little fembot fantasies so I can live to see my reflection another day it would be much appreciated!"

There was a blessed silence for all of two minutes and then…

"He's so handsome too."

"HANDSOME?! He's not handsome! I'M handsome!"

"No… he's handsome."

Zack's face fell into his clawed hands. Why Priums? WHY?

"And he's sexy too. Drift. Ahhhh… what a sexy name… Drift…"

Maybe fighting her about it wasn't the answer. Zack tried to cold shoulder approach hopping that the lack of interest on his part would get Wildfire to finally shut up. It didn't get the desired effect.

"I don't know, he's old name was nice too. Deadlock… yea… there's a name that no one is going to mess with. Oh I just love Decepticon names so much!"

Zack "humf"-ed and frowned at the enamored fembot.

"My old name was Duskstrike and you've never told me you liked it before!"

Wildfire gave the black mech a questioning look and then seemed to suddenly remember.

"Oh that's right! I forgot you used to be a Decepticon. I guess your just so much like an Autobot it slipped my mind."

"W-WHAT?! How in the PIT could you forget?! You basically remind ME about it everyday!"

Wildfire just shrugged. Angry now, Zack scowled and folded his arms. He even tapped his foot impatiently.

"Well are you going to tell me you like my name or not?!"

Wildfire thought about it a moment and shrugged.

"Duskstrike? Well… yea it's an ok name… I guess. But I wouldn't say I LIKE it like it."

"WHAT?! You just confessed how much you like Decepticon names!"

"Well not ALL names obviously."

"It's basically the same name!"

"What? It so is not!"

"Dusk-strike, Dead-lock. Two syllables. Two words. Both start with a "D" sound. How is that not the same?"

"One has 10 letters one has 8 duh!"

"Not in Cybertronion!"

"Well in English."

"Who the pit spells our names in Human?!"

"The humans, duh."

"Yes but not us!"

"Speak for yourself. "Wildfire" looks awesome spelled in English."

Now Zack was really annoyed.

"With that kind of reasoning you should be in love with me too!"

"Ewwww gross! No way!"

"Yes way! You're all tingly that Drift used to be a Decepticon, I was too, for longer then him I might add. Your drooling over his change of spark to become an Autobot, which I did waaaay before he ever even thought of it. You can't shut up about his fighting skills and I could so kick his ass if I felt like it. And your all but tripping over yourself to interface with him because he's "sooooo handsome" and I'll a million and a half times better looking then him! You should be swooning over me! I'm twice the mech he his!"

"Ok… number one; I'm not swooning. And number two; Whoa! Jealous much?"

"I'm not jealous! I'm just questioning you logic process, and I'm annoyed at your lack of consideration and professionalism over a two bit hack that went all "weeboa" when he left the Con's AND who basically stole my identity! What do you see in a mech like Drift anyways?"

"J-e-a-l-o-u-s! You are so jealous!"

"You're REEEALY trying to see if I'll kill him aren't you?"

"Please, I'd kill you before you ever got the chance."

Up until now both of their comlinks had gone unnoticed and unanswered. It was only when both of their emergency frequencies went off at the same time did their fight end.

"Wildfire, Zack," Tek's cold voice said over the emergency line. "The tactical team would like to know why you are still in your surprise positions and NOT providing back up for your attacking comrades?"

Wildfire and Zack both whipped around and found they where missing out on the battle at hand.

"Shit!"

"Fuck!"


	14. Use and Lose

"Oh nice... nice... very nice..."

Jess gave her Mustang a funny look as they drove along the Air Force base's runway. They had just finished a visit to their friend AJ while she was on base flying some "top secret" new plane. New military planes of all kinds littered base's runway and Jess had noticed that her Cybertronian friend muttering things to herself whenever they past a particularly nice looking model. Much like the brand new fighter jet they were passing now.

"Wildfire, if you and the F-22 Raptor need some "alone" time together just say so."

Wildfire laughed as they continued heading off the base. She had all the scans she needed to mimic the human aircraft, and a few scans she'd be printing out to hanging up on the walls of her quarters back at her own base.

"Oh no, their nice to look at but not to take home."

"Hmmm... sounds strangely familiar..." Jess joked.

"Your military grade males too?" Wildfire asked.

"Depends, why don't YOU date them?"

Wildfire laughed again and then let out a mechanical whistle at the F-117 nighthawk stealth bomber they passed. Its black body sparkled in the sun and Jess half expected to see the thing transform in response to the cat calls Wildfire shouted at it.

"Their all the same," Wildfire said thoughtfully. "Big, strong, with enough stamina to interface for days, not to mention beautiful... but their dumber as scrap metal. You just have to use em' and lose em.'"

Jess snorted and covered her mouth before her lunges came flying out. She hadn't expected that answer and after she was sure that her internal organs weren't going anywhere she fell over in her seat laughing.


	15. Worry Free

This was me trying to explore Tek and Wildfire's characters. It turned out really cute if I do say so myself. Despite them not be a "normal" set of twins and not acting like normal twins act, Wildfire and Tek are as close as they could be.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Wildfire woke with her internal alarm. Cursing the universe and everyone and everything in it, she pushed herself up off her bed. It was really late and she desperately needed a good recharge, but this was more important. She wished she could slam the doors in the Ark, but sadly they were all automatic. That's the problem with Autobots, they had no way to release their frustration on inanimate objects. Her icy blue optic's where dim from barely being a quarter charged as she stomped through the hall not even grumbling hello to the night watch mechs she passed.

When she reached Prowl's office and punched in her code she found that Jazz had been here not too long before her. She promised herself she'd smile about that when she got some decent recharge. The lock bleeped that she didn't have the clearance to get into the office behind the door. With an angry snarl she punched in her brother's all access code that she technically wasn't supposed to have and technically not supposed to use. The door slid back and with a sigh she stomped towards the only bot still sitting in the room.

"Oh, did Jazz reconsider letting you finish-..." Tek started, but yelped as Wildfire caught her brother by the back of his neck and hauled him out of his seat.

The hacker flailed as she sister dragged him from his computer, data pads and work.

"Jazz had the right idea. I'm not reconsidering either." Wildfire grumbled yanking her brother backwards towards the door.

"W-wait! The files! I'm not finished!"

"They'll be fine."

"BUT!"

Wildfire dug her fingers deeper into the seam in his throat and cut off any more arguments with a yelp that sounded more like a squeak. Tek stumbled after his sister as she led him back to his room. When they reached his quarters she punched in his private code and dragged him inside, locking the door behind them. Once they were safely locked inside Wildfire released her bother. The Corvette rubbed his throat and coughed as he turned his optics to his fuming sister.

"Wildfire, honesty I was planning to..."

"Save it you." Wildfire snapped. "You where planning on working until you collapsed into recharge; and even then I'm sure you had an alarm set to wake you up the minute your systems would function probably to start working again."

"N-no I just need to finish a few final reports and inventory lists and then I would have..."

Wildfire stepped between Tek and his personal computer as he made a move toward it. The agitated mustang slammed the computer closed causing a horrified Tek to freeze and sputter.

"You. Sleep. NOW." The Mustang barked.

"I can't just go into recharge at the drop of a spare part. I have to finish my..."

Wildfire put her hand on Tek's winged shoulder and shoved him down into his chair roughly. Tek didn't even have the energy to resist.

"Shut up. I'm not listening to your excuses."

Wildfire spun the chair and her brother around till she was facing his back. Tek was about protest when Wildfire's hands rested against his back between the joints of his doorwings. Then she pushed her thumbs from the base of the joins to the top of them. Tek's door wings fluttered rapidly like a humming bird and he squeaked a bit. Right after that his head fell into his chest as his long forgotten sports car engine purred happily. Wildfire grumbled as she massaged Tek's back.

"Primus Tek your worse than Prowl." She mumbled.

The red twin snorted as she tried to work out knot after knot in the delicate circuitry. Tek made some mumbling sounds and sunk forward farther. Wildfire's hands moved up onto the doorwings themselves, gently forcing the appendages to relax. Tek's shinning navy blue wings sagged tranquilly under his sisters fingers.

"Damn you strategic types." Wildifre snapped softly as she loosened up the joints back at the base of his wings. "All you do is run yourselves into the ground and leave someone else to pick up your pieces. Do me a favor? Find a windshield bumping buddy so THEY can haul your aft from work! I don't want to have to wake up in the middle of the night to do it!"

"Mmm… k…" Tek purred.

After about fifteen minutes Wildfire noted the tell tale signs of Tek starting to fall into recharge and stopped the massage. She took him by his elbow and helped him to his berth. Tek was already so exhausted and relaxed that he didn't mind the help. There wasn't so much as squeak of protest from him as Wildfire laid him on his side so he didn't sleep on his wings and wake up with them hurting.

Wildfire crawled up beside him on the now cramped berth and snuggled close and wrapped on arm around Tek's shoulders. Then, gently she leaned forward until their foreheads where resting together, touching. It was a very intimate ritual of trust the twins displayed only in private. With so many other bots outfitted with optic based weapons or mouth lazars that it took the utmost trust to leave oneself so open to attack. Tek's optics rebooted to find Wildifre's offline but her head antenna twitching. The hacker's wings fluttered as he reached for his sister's hand and interlaced their fingers while Wildfire booted up her optics.

"What would I do without you?" Tek asked.

"You'd be Ratchet the hatchet's punching bag. Now get a mate so you can spend the night overloading with a lover and not sharing this stupidly small bunk with your sister."

"I'd rather spend my recharge cycle with you looking out for me."

"You say that now. Now go to sleep. … oh, and if you even think about getting up early…"

Wildfire squeezed their fingers warningly as she powered down her optics again.

"I'm going to kick your aft back into recharge."

"But I should be there before Prowl to…"

"Prowl will answer to ME if he even THINKS about waking you up."

"But…"

"You're not going anywhere OR back to work until you're fully charged and have a good refueling. End of discussion. Sleep. NOW."

Tek's wings relaxed into a neutral position as he turned off his optics.

"Turn off the alarm."

"I don't have…"

"Turn it off."

Tek obediently turned off his internally set alarm. It looked like he was getting an extra long, worry free recharge.

"Just so you know…" Tek started.

"If it's not "I'm going to sleep right now." I don't want to hear it."

"I am most delighted you're my sister."

"Yeah yeah yeah… I love you too. Now go to sleep."


	16. It's Better When You Struggle

So I know this might make Zack into a Gery Sue... but I couldn't pass it up!! It was too good an idea!

What started off as stright slash turned into a look into Zack's mind frame and his monivation. Damn it way does this always happen to me?!

Anyways this is very M for rough robot smex! You have been warned!

~!~!~!~!~

Life was cruel and unfair. Zack had made peace with that fact a long… long time ago. What he didn't understand was why life only seemed to be cruel and unfair to him.

It was late at night by human standers but he was still wide awake along with a handful of other bots that didn't seem able to sleep. The black ranger downed another cube of high grade and refused to notice the optics watching him do it. Slag them. He had a rough day and the mech sitting two tables over wasn't making his mood any better. Drift sat quietly at his table reading a data pad and that only pissed Zack off more. It was Drift's fault his day was so shitty. The stupid white Japanese import had been the hero of the day when that honor should have gone to Zack. Normally that wouldn't have bothered him, Zack liked just enough recognition to earn the respect he deserved. He wasn't a glory hound like some. Besides, anything great he did fell under intense scrutiny by his fellow Autobots. All because of a past that he had left behind a long time ago. Even after all these years and all he'd done he was still largely un-trusted. Cliffjumper still pointed the finger at him first when something went wrong of there was rumors of spying. He'd been forced to accept that the Autobots would need more time to realize he was on their side. The big black mech knocked back another cube to get the bitter taste of frustration out of his mouth. Time made all things possible, he could wait and earn their trust. What made him angry was that Drift was accepted with open arms with a past just as disgraceful as his.

Not everybot knew all the details of either of their histories save for maybe Prime. But Zack definitely knew all about "Drift," it was his job to know. The bot started life as Deadlock, and clawed his way to the second in command of a rather important battleship. Then, one cycle he just vanished. Rumor always had it that he left to find the "legendary" lost fraction of Cybertronions that had disappeared at the beginning of the war. That's about the time "Deadlock" became "Drift." This new Drift stopped killing and even refused to use a blaster. Instead he used those stupid short swords. To anyone else Drift's swords where dangerous and exotic weapons, completely foreign to modern day warfare. But to Zack, who was constantly fighting with Wildfire who had much more deadly long swords coming out of her arms, they were of little consequence.

Everything about the white bot made him angry. Even the color white itself infuriated him. Drift had basicly stolen everything about Zack's life. He stole the reformed con past and while no one trusted Zack farther then they could throw him, no one second guessed Drift. Zack had been practical in his transformation from Decepticon to Autobot. He had left certain Decepticon like aspect about himself alone so that they would always remind him of his past and the mistakes he was working to correct. His paint was black for the suffering he had caused, and his optics where still red though he had a blue visor to cover them. In the end, he made this outer appearance reflect the inner, that once you where a Decepticon you could never truly be an Autobot. You could only do the best you could at not going back to your old ways. Drift on the other hand had stripped everything of his old life away in a complete reformatting. A blatant attempt to sweep his past under the rug and forget about it. Zack barely held back a growl at the thought. You couldn't change your programming, you could only deal with it. It wasn't fair that they did everything the same and Drift got all the good and he got all the bad.

It was infuriating that everything fell into place for the white rice rocket. Zack gowned his dental plates together. What if he painted himself white, pulled out his optics and replaced them with blue ones, chopped off the claws he was sparked with and suddenly became a mute? Would that suddenly make him worthy of some damn trust? Like superficial changes would make him a better bot, or make the ones he killed any less dead. It was aggravating that Drift was getting a "get out of jail free card" simply because Kup vouched for him. Zack pondered the idea of infiltrating some con base, freeing some hostages and then blowing it up. Another cube was drained and he was well on his way to being so overcharged he would remember tonight. Actually that sounded pretty good right now. One more cube fallowed on the heels of the last. He saw some of the Autobots in the room glare his way. Slag all these prissy, look down their noses, ungreatful Autobot scum! He didn't have to join their stupid cause! They should be on their knees thanking him for his help. He joined the Autobots of his own free will and nobot gave a damn what it had cost him to do it. He could be sitting pretty as Megatron's third in command right now thinking up fun ways to kill Starscream, but instead he was here doing his best to drink his problems away.

"We should go, it's never good when a Decepticon drinks that much."

Zack heard someone whisper somewhere in the room. All the highgrade made it impossible to tell who had said it but it didn't matter. Zack was pounding regular mildgrade now and out of spite he emptied another cube in front of them. Slag anyone that couldn't hold their engergon and looked down on those who could. He hadn't even BEGUN to drink enough to scare anyone. A couple of the bots shuffled past him, completely ignoring the truck. They either said goodbye or nodded at Drift as they departed, leaving the rec room eerily quiet in their wake. Drift's blue optics flicked up and caught Zack's claws tightening on the cube he was holding. It was the only the pick up's superior amount of self control the kept the fragile container from shattering in his hand.

"You should slow down," the always quiet Drift said in the stillness. "don't want to get energon poisoning right?"

Zack didn't seem to have heard his white counterpart as another cube disappeared down his throat. A flicker of concern crossed Drift's face and he was about to say something more. The moment he opened his mouth however, he had to duck as the empty cube rocketed pat his head and shattered like glass on the wall behind him. Drift quickly looked back at the mess and the then to Zack, probably wondering what he'd done to deserve that. Zack didn't bother making optic contact as Drift stood and set down whatever he was reading. He carefully made his way to Zack's table and softly rested a hand on the cool surface.

"They had no right to say that."

Zack hooked a thumb over his shoulder in the general direction of the door.

"You can get the fuck out."

Each word was perfectly precise, no slurring whatsoever, and cold as deep space. Drift stared at the other mech surprised. He wasn't expecting him to be so coherent or so bitter. Drift backed away from the table letting the other mech have his space.

"I was just trying to-"

"Get. The. Fuck. OUT before I kill you."

Drift shuttered his optics with a mildly surprised look on his face. Zack had never threatened anyone before. Drift had felt that they had a connection and he could get along with Zack better then anyone. The visor made it hard to read the other mech's face but Drift could tell he was upset. Maybe he just needed a few words of encouragement.

"Don't give up Zack. They'll come around and see that your not a Decepticon anymore."

BAM! Drift was slammed to the floor before he could even make a move for his swords in defense. His optics scrambled for a few seconds from the force of the blow and when they cleared Zack was pinning him to the floor. Those blade claws where wrapped around his throat with one sharp point pressed into the main power cable. If either Zack or his captive so much as twitched it would slice through the vulnerable cable like it was nothing.

"How… DARE you presume to know what I am!" Zack snarled softly.

Drift's fingers slid towards his swords and his head was slammed into the floor. This time when his vision cleared of static Zack had both his short swords in hand. The Black mech tossed them aside with such force that they embedded in the wall on the far side of the recroom. Clearly the rumors of Zack being stronger then he looked where true.

"I was, and always will always be a Decepticon." Zack hissed. "Whether I like it or not. I can't change that. And neither can you."

"Your wrong Zack." Drift said calmly. "You can change."

A wicked looking grin slowly split Zack's face.

"That's easy for you to say, but you're a liar."

Drift stayed quiet as Zack leaned closer.

"It's easy to say you can change when you've got Kup to back you up. But you and I… we can NEVER be Autobots. Violence is in our core programming and we can't change that. You can only… fake it. You know that."

Drift still kept quiet, it was depressing that Zack didn't think he could shed his past and truly start anew. Zack was a brother, and Drift was the only one on Earth that knew what the other had gone through.

"Zack… you need to trust yourself. You have a choice."

"I did have a choice, and I made the wrong one a long time ago."

"You still have that choice Zack."

"Let me show you that you don't "Drift."

Zack tightened his grip on Drift's throat and the white hands flew to his arm. A bladed black knee was pressed into the white chest. The white mech gasped and choked, clawing at the arm cutting off cool air and energon to his processor. Zack held fast as Drift started to struggle. The table was overturned and the chair clattered to the floor, the half empty cube of energon spilled it's contents over the combatants and the floor as it tumbled away from the fight. Drift managed to get a knee under Zack and flip them both over. The clawed hand lost it's grip and Drift finally got a gasp of air, reducing the heat building up in his processor. But he didn't enjoy it for long. Zack got his claws back on him. Drift struck Zack in the face and clawed at the visor. The black mech snarled and clamped his hand down on Drift's face. The white bot growled and got his own hand on Zack's neck and started to crush it.

"See? Still the same old Deadlock. No mercy."

"If I was still Deadlock we would be having a very different converation!"

Zack rolled them over sending another talbe to the ground as they grappled.

"I think we are having that conversation, since when to Autobots choak the life out of their enimeies?" Zack sneered.

"I'm defening myself!"

"Optimus Prime would call this "unessessary force." I think I've proved my point."

"And I've proved mine."

Zack galred down at Drift as puple energon dripped from under his visor and into the open cuts on his face.

"The only point you've proved is that you're easy to kill."

"And if we'd still been Deepticons one of us would be dead right now."

"That can still happen."

Drift looked up through Zack's claws, his one visable blue optic seeming to look into Zack's tortured soul.

"If you where going to kill me you would have done it already."

Zack galred down at the other bot at his mercy and felt a rage like he never felt before grip his spark.

"I HATE you! I HATE everything you think you are! You're trying to be something your not and you have everyone fooled! But not me! I know you're a killer! I'm a killer! Only I haven't forgotten that fact."

Drift's hand came up and rested on the back of Zack's gentely.

"You can chose not to kill Zack."

"That's doesn't mean anything. And it doesn't stop me from being capable of it."

"Everyone is capable of killing, if that's the standered your measuring yourself by you'll never be able to move on."

"Shut up! You don't know anything!"

"I know that your struggling with yourself, and I know it's hard. But your doing a better job then I am. You can at lest face your past, you don't shy away from it. I admire that about you."

Carfully, Drift lifted Zack's claws from his face. The razor sharp apendeges didn't leave so much as a scratch on him.

"It's up to you weather you are good or evil Zack. Being a Decepticon or Autobot is an intensely personal choice. A choice."

"You naive little fool." Zack snorted. "You can go on believing that, but you'll find out soon enough that your wrong."

"Then prove me wrong." Drift said quietly. "Kill me in cold blood as humans say."

"Your not worth the effort." Zack snarled.

"Or do you not want to do it?"

"Don't tempt me."

"And if I did tempt you? Would you kill me then?"

"Maybe."

Drift braced himself with his free hand, pushed himself up slowly and softly pressed his lips to Zack's. The ranger shuttered his optics under his visor in shock. That wasn't what he was expecting. Too surprised to properly process the information Zack did the only thing he knew how to do in this kind of situation; kiss back. That seemed to surprise Drift who quickly broke the kiss to stare at Zack.

"What was that for?" Zack demanded once his processor sorted through the information.

"I… was trying to temp you to kill me…"

"Well that's definitely not the tempation you implied!"

"Did it make you feel angry?"

"It made me feel something."

Was it his imagination, or did Drift sense that Zack was implying something else with that snide little comment?

"If you're not going to kill me are you at least going to let me up?" The white mech asked.

Zack's visor glowed as his mouth quirked up into a smirk.

"No, I've thought of something better to prove my point."

Zack trailed one of his claws along the cables in Drift's neck. The import shivered as the razor sharp claw tickled it's way down the defenseless fuel line with astonishing tenderness.

"W-what are you doing?" Drift stammered.

"Proving my point of course."

The claw trailed down the neck to the shoulder and then over the windsheild making Drift writhe and gasp. Zack smiled evilly as his claws curled under the protective armor and suddenly began to crush the glass. Drift's scream of pain quickly turned into a moan as he arched his back. Zack released his death grip on the windsheild and then roughly brushed his claws on the unprotected gears under the white armor. Drift tossed his head as his arms latched onto both of Zack's elbow joints and squeezed hard. Zack snarled as the sharp points of his claws raked Drift's chest components to the white mech's loud response. Drift growled from the lower end of his vocalizer's capacity as one hand dove into the black hip joint. Zack snarled and reared back at the assault where he was kneed in the back and forcefully dragged back down.

Drift used the arm to pull Zack off him where he then quickly straddled the bigger bot and pressed a hand to his throat. The black ranger grinned as his visor darkened. His hand shot up and his claws embedded in the glass on Drift's chest. The sport car's moan varied from pleasure to pain as the claws where ripped down leavening deep gashes in the glass. Drift retaliated by tracing the outline of one of Zack's headlights much to Zack's pleasure and then slammed his fist into it, shattering the glass. Zack hissed and spat as his legs thrashed and kicked which made Drift smirk. His grey fingers danced along the black grill, slipping in and out to tickle the wires underneath as purple energon bled from the shattered headlight. Zack's snarls where broken up by moans at the touches. The ranger gnashed his teeth as Drift shoved his fingers between the two plates of chest armor and brutally pulled them apart. The reinforced armor didn't move much but there was enough of a gap for Drift for fit a few slim fingers into his chest cavity. That was as far as Zack was willing to let Drift go however.

With a roar Zack bucked Drift off of him and closed his chest plates with a loud snap. He rolled, grabbing a white leg and yanking Drift back. His claws sliced through the armor in the leg and Drift nearly screamed as they cut into wires and power lines. Sparks flew from the wound as Zack glowed and got his other claw on Drift's hip joint. He crushed his knee into Drift's groin and hauled himself on top of the thrashing samurai, pinning him beneath him again. Drift's hand karate chopped a transformation seam in his side and Zack roared. Before he could recover the white mech reached for his neck and pulled his face down for a searing kiss. Zack's own hand grabbed hold of the other's throat as he opened his mouth.

Drift got his glossa bit but it didn't stop him from plunging it deeper into the scorching hot mouth. Zack countered with his own glossa running along the inside of his dental plates and along the roof of his mouth. The ranger was rewarded with a moan as Drift's hand tightened on his throat. Zack twisted his knee hard his Drift's groin and made that sweat mouth open more. This time it was Zack's glossa that got bitten as Drift nearly choked on it. Zack growled as he tasted energon but continued on. His free claw scraped up Drift's side plunging between seams in his armor and scratching along easily cut wires. Drift mewled as his hand on Zack's throat released it's grip.

Zack snarled as he pushed himself on Drift, grinding the armor together so hard white hot sparks showered the floor. Drift moaned as the claws tightened their hold on the weakened glass of his windshield and the others left his throat. The white import shook as little blue arches of electricity jumped from the exposed wires in his leg. His whole frame trembled with pent up energy begging to be released. Zack's manor suddenly changed as his claws wormed under over broken glass. Affectionately they caressed the wounds like an artist doting upon a masterpiece. Zack's knees stroked the white hip joint and groin tenderly while his kiss softened to that of a lover. Drift enjoyed the affections as his hands came up to hold Zack's shoulders. After a moment Zack broke away form the kiss and gave the mech under him a wicked grin.

Zack suddenly drove his knee into the sensitive groin and raked his claws along the glass again. Drift screamed in painful pleasure as he exploded in overload. Zack held his captive down as the other former Decpeticon convulsed in overloading spasms.

"It's better for me when you struggle!" The black ranger's face lit up with evil until the sound of the recroom door opened in front of him.

"What are YOU doing here!?" Zack bellowed angrily at the newcomer.

Wildfire woke with a start. Her optics blazed an intense light blue as she bolted upright from her recharge berth. Her vents noisily cycled cool air into her systems as her main energon pump hammered in her chest.

"Ok…" Wildfire breathed with her hand over where a heart would have been on a human, a habit she had picked up from her human friends. "That-was-weird!"

The young fem's doorwings quivered on her shoulders as she stood. Unaccustomed to such… "dreams"… Wildfire paced her cramped room wondering what the hell her processor had just come up with. There was no way she was going to live this down. She couldn't just pretend that this didn't happen. It would drive her insane every time she happened to see Drift OR Zack, let alone if they were ever together. She could keep mission secrets no problem, but this? This was different. This seemed a lot like the female, "girl talk," secrets AJ and Jess where always talking about. Maybe she could talk to them about this. Human females had a very close knit bond with one another and where famous among males of their species for being secret keepers. The women told her all the time that they considered her a sister and would always be there for her if she needed them. Suddenly Wildfire thought of something that made her think herself a genius. Doorwings still shaking slightly Wildfire slipped to her desk and fired up her computer terminal.

~!~!~!~!~

Life was never quiet for long around the Ark. There was always something going on. Weather it was perpetration for a battle or a yellow one bot lynch mob looking for the soon to be corps that had dented his sacred armor. Something somewhere was always happening that would draw stares and start rumors and gossip. The next day dawned no different from any other. The only abnormality was that instead of a Cybertronion being the center of the attention, it was a pair of human females.

The first shift of the morning was about to get underway and the night shift was getting ready to turn in. It was a time of duty limbo that left the halls crowded with extra amounts bots. While the various colored Autobots milled about either slowly making their way to or from a shift something broke the gentle murmur of low voices and soft metal footfalls. It was the heavy drumming of one of their kind running and not caring who heard. It grew in strength and everyone in the hall froze to see what would come of it. They didn't expect to see a pair of humans come sprinting around a corner looking like the entire Decepticon army was after them. Jess and AJ didn't scream or warn of impending attack, they simply ran and did not look back. They ducked in and out of large feet, vaulting and dodging everything without slowing down. If that wasn't enough to confuse everyone, the weirdness wasn't done yet.

"GET BACK HERE YOU HUMAN MENACES!"

Zack slid around the corner looking as intimidating as any mech in the universe could possibly be. The blue visor glowed ominously and his dental palates where bared in a snarl as he raced after the humans. The ranger barreled through the hall full of mechs like they weren't even there. His evil claws pushed anyone and everyone out of the way and the plates of armor on his shoulders bowled the rest of them over like a professional linebacker.

"YOU'RE ONLY MAKING ME MORE ANGERY!" Zack roared at the fleeing humans.

Jess and AJ decided that stopping to face the angry mech was suicide and didn't so much as glance back. Those present that had seen the movie "Jurassic Park" where struck by the similarity between the scene playing out before them and the scene with the guy running from the T-rex. You just knew they were going to get eaten in the end. Sure enough Zack caught up with the humans before they could get around another corner and hide. The mechs present cringed and expected to see blood and human body parts flying everywhere as those fully extended sliver claws wrapped around both girls. Zack growled as he stood up with one human held fast in each claw-hand and held them before his face.

"I'd like to have a little chat with you two. In private!" Zack snarled.

"It's not our fault!" AJ gasped as she tried to wriggle out of Zack's death grip.

Zack threw a glare over his shoulders at the other transformers staring at them. The ranger's lip components pealed back in a snarl as he addressed the onlookers.

"Does anyone have a PROBLEM with this?!"

No one spoke. They just continued to stare and Zack snorted at them.

"I didn't think so. Now girls…" He growled as he tightened his hands and stalked off. "Let's talk about that little story…"

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Jess gasped for breath and tried not to move too much. Seeing as she was surrounded on all sides by knifes movement could mean death. Sure she had expected Zack to be a little embarrassed about the story that had been posted on the website that "didn't exist" and maybe just a little pissed. She didn't think that that would be a good chance that she'd end up shiskabob.

"I want a name and address." Zack snarled as he kept walking. "And the override password to delete that slanderous, disgraceful, repulsive piece of trash!"

"LOOK! Zack!" Jess heard AJ's muffled voice shout. "It wasn't our fault! Anyone can post a story as long as it makes it through the filters!"

"And we don't ask for information!" Jess added.

"Oh how you puny fleashlings underestimate me…" Zack growled in a deep voice. "Do you really think me an idiot?"

AJ and Jess both yelled as they where dropped. They bounced off something metal and groaned in pain.

"You've got two hours to reconsider telling me what you know." Zack snarled.

Jess rubbed the back of her head as she sat up. It looked like their where in some lesser used part of the Ark, and relatively high up on a shelf. By the looks of things there was no way down with out braking every bone in the human body.

"This is a very… very unused storage space. No one is going to hear you scream, and no one knows you're here. And if you don't tell me who posted the story, this is going to be your new home."

"Zack! This is kind of extreme don't you think?!" AJ pleaded.

But the ranger couldn't be swayed. He held up two claws to indicated that they had two hours and then left without another word. Jess decided to take a seat.

"Welp… he's pissed." She said.

AJ leaned up against the back of the transformer sized shelf and sighed.

"So are we going to tell him who wrote the story?" she asked.

"Hell no!" Jess snapped. "It will be bad for business if we start giving away suppliers identities! Come on, this is Zack we're talking about. He just needs some time to cool off and he'll get us down."

"I don't know about that." AJ shrugged. "He used his Decepticon voice, he's pretty pissed."

"Dude he should be flattered!" Jess snorted. "Not everybot get's a story written about them!"

"Yes well as you know Zack's a pretty private mech." AJ defended.

"It was a work of fiction!"

"Unless it wasn't…"

"AJ don't you dare tease me like that!"

"I'm just saying that Zack's a damn sneaky robot. He could be seeing Drift and wanting to keep it secret. It could explain the extreme reaction."

The automate door swished open and Wildfire slipped inside the storage closet. She caught sight of the humans and headed over.

"So the rumors WHERE true." Wildfire smiled a little. "So Zack's angry with my little story?"

"You have NO idea!" AJ said as she rolled her eyes. "He's planning on leaving us here to die if we don't give you up."

"Well then it's a good thing I found you first."

"That's my girl!" Jess said brightly. "Now can you get us out of here? I've got better things to do the wait around to die."

Wildfire held out her hand and both women climbed aboard.

"Just out of curiosity… would you have given me up?" the red fem asked.

"You know I wouldn't have." Jess said. "Well unless he promised me a really good story with you getting some action."

"Thanks?" Wildfire said with a confused head tilt. "And you AJ?"

"Naw, probably not. I don't think Zack would let us die."

Wildfire headed for the door, peeked out to make sure Zack wasn't around and then strolled out.

"I wonder what he'll do when he comes back and your not there?" Wildfire mused.

"I think I'd like to have Mirage's cloaking ability to find out." Jess grinned.

"How about settling for a nice long drive while listening to the frantic com calls to see if anyone knows where you are?"

"Works for me!" AJ smiled. "That'll teach the bastard to threaten me!"

Wildfire laughed. She really did have the best "gal pals" in the universe.

~End

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Decepticon sex: If someone isn't bleeding at the end you didn't do it right.

Also

NO TALKING! Decepticon sex is serious business!! _


	17. Plug n' Play

A little drabble I couldn't get out of my head unless I wrote it down! Enjoy!

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Oh shoot! My BlackBerry is dying! Wildfire can you do me a huge favor and charge it?"

"NO!"

Alison, "AJ," Johnson stopped in the middle of fishing the charge cord for her phone out of her purse when her friend and co-alien-robot-human-liaison snapped at her. Jess Penderson kept her eyes on the road as a very rare frown appeared on her face.

"What? Why?" AJ asked confused. "I'm expecting a VERY important call from my superior officer about…"

"NO!" Jess repeated herself.

"Dude Jess shut up."

AJ gasped as the disembodied voice rang through the car. She wasn't used to a transformer speaking like that. Sure, her own truck was actually a very large alien robot with big scary looking claws and a bad attitude, but he didn't speak when he was a car. None of the other Autobots did. The red Ford Mustang laughed as a face blossomed into being on the computer screen in the middle of the dash. The Cybertronion's infinitely complex face smiled at AJ in the passenger seat and AJ had to admit, having a face to concentrate on was less creepy then feeling like God was talking with you.

"Don't listen to Jess. I'm more than happy to help charge your phone."

"Don't!" Jess growled.

Wildfire's computer generated façade turned to Jess and the transformer stuck out her tongue at the other human. AJ recalled that transformers called their "tongues" something else but couldn't remember what it was. Whatever it was called, it was weird thing to see and Air Force captain was still stumped as to why robots had tongues at all.

"Please don't listen to Jess, go ahead and charge your phone."

"I'm warning you right now," Jess said taking her eyes off the road to glare at her friend. "You're going to be sorry if you do that."

AJ felt like she had just stepped on a landmine and it was only a matter of time before it blew up in her face.

"AJ it's FINE! Trust me!" Wildfire assured her.

"Really Jess! You're being a child!" AJ snorted as she uncoiled the phone cord. "Wildfire said it's alright so it must be alright."

"Great," Jess grumbled. "Here we go again."

AJ ignored Jess's mumblings and attached the cord to the phone and then plugged the other end into the cigarette lighter on the dashboard under the screen. Just before the face disappeared AJ could have sworn that Wildfire was smirking. She brushed the thought aside, thinking it to be just the light of computer screen or just the way all those millions of tiny little gears and slates of metal moved. All was quiet in the sports car for a few moments as the three drove without incident. AJ relaxed when her phone didn't explode or worse and after a few more minutes forgot it altogether. Jess seemed unsurprised and kept muttering under her breath, one hand on the wheel and one propped up on the arm rest.

It was a good ten miles or so down the road before it started. AJ noticed the mustang seem to shake a little on a completely smooth road. The fighter pilot looked at Jess whose head was slowly shaking back and forth.

"Ooooooooh…"

AJ's attention was quickly on the computer screen but no robot face was there.

"Ooooooooh yeeeaaaaaah..."

"Jess? What the hell is wrong with your car?"

"You started it." Jess huffed.

"OH! Nokia BlackBerry model number 6585-4! Oh yeah! Yes yes yes! That's right! Just like that! OOOH YES! Primus you feel soooooo good! Keep going! Download those files baby! Yeah you, you naughty smartphone!"

"Holy crap! When did we enter a robot prono?!" AJ yelled.

"It's your damn phone!" Jess shouted over the moaning that was filling the car.

"Unplug it! UNPLUG IT!"

Jess all but ripped the cord out and tossed it at AJ. The moaning instantly stopped and was replaced by a disappointed "awww!" from Wildfire.

An awkward silence went unbroken for a mile.

"What… what the hell was that?" AJ asked.

"Transformers have sex by plugging cords into each other." Jess grumbled.

Another mile of awkwardness went by.

"The call isn't THAT important." AJ said stuffing her BlackBerry back in her purse.

~Fin

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

PISHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

My brain sometimes I swear! I don't know what its thinking!

Obviously transformers can't "orgasm" / "overload" / "whatever" with a dinky little BlackBerry cord. Wildfire just likes fucking around with her poor human's minds.

Plus she's fed up with people plugging stuff into her. (EX Jess always plugging in her ipod without asking) I mean if I was a transformer I'd be all "WTF is this shit?!" and I'm sure it's a irritating drain on their energy stores. So any normal, decent Cybertronion would either put up with it, or politely ask the humans to knock it off. Wildfire on the other hand wants to make sure that they never ever do it again. … EVER.


	18. Twin Snapshots

I wanted to play around with my twins, but I also wanted to play around with other bot's perceptions and opinions of them as well. So I did! I'll pry do more later cuz these with really fun to do!

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Snapshots

1. Meeting--

Jazz watched rather amused as Tek took his usual seat with his usual stiff winged grace. The hacker quickly fired up the data pad in his hands and began typing, disregarding his twin that was still standing behind him. Wildfire's optics flickered around the room, marking mechs and exits, Jazz noted. Tek pointed to the chair beside him and then went back to his data pad. Wildfire said nothing as she sat next to her brother. Jazz's amusement grew as he watched Wildfire's normally stoic face twitch with agitation and the antenna on the side of her helm jerk forward and back. Clearly she had no desire to be in the upcoming meeting. Only a moment later, Jazz felt the vibrations through the floor of one of Wildfire's leg rapidly bouncing up and down. A habit, Jazz recognized, of a high energy bot when they where forced to slow down. It couldn't have been more then a minute before Wildfire leapt to her feet.

"No, I'm not doing this." She said shaking her head.

Ironhide, Preceptor, Ratchet and everyone else present looked up as Wildfire bolted out the door.

"Wher' she think she's goin'?" Ironhide asked. "Meetin' startin' in a minute."

Tek said nothing and he added more notes on the data pad, seemingly unconcerned with his sister's whereabouts. RedAlert's lips twitched when Tek didn't give the other officers an explanation.

"WELL!?" Red demanded.

Jazz put his hands up to cover his smile when Tek didn't even look up from what he was doing.

"A moment please." He monotoned.

A look of confusion went around the officers as Jazz watched to see what was going to happen next. If Wildfire was going to make it to the meeting on time she better hurry up. Once Optimus and Prowl got here it was going to be worse then the pit if she interrupted one of them. A minute and a half later Wildfire was back in her seat, looking more agitated then before if that was possible. When she offered no explanation for her disappearance (Jazz had learned not to expect any kind of rational answer out of her anyways) Ratchet cleared his intakes.

"What was that about?"

Wildfire's optics snapped up, locking the medic with an angry glare.

"If I'm not wanted I'll go!"

Jazz didn't think Ratchet's stunned look had made it all the way to his face before Wildfire was out the door and gone again. The saboteur giggled softly as Ratchet and Ironhide exchanged looks of disbelief.

Thirty seconds this time and Wildfire was back hovering over her chair, hands balled into fists and optics staring at it like Sideswipe had put superglue on it. Tek seemed to be unaware of his sister's odd behavior. The blue Transformer casually put his data pad down and turned his attention, not to the door his sister had disappeared out of, but to the one on the other side of the meeting room where Prowl and Optimus would make their entrance. Wildfire spun on her heel mumbling to herself as once again she was out the door. No sooner had it closed then the automatic door opened once again to allow the fem back in. Jazz's snort of laughter broke the bewildered silence as the red and black Mustang paced in the doorway between the meeting room and the hall. The door kept swishing back and forth, neither closing or opening fully as the indecisive fem still didn't make up her mind. It was only a few astro-seconds before Prowl would officially start the meeting when Tek flicked his door wings and sat up straighter. Almost the same moment that his wings relaxed Wildfire was seated at his elbow, hands folded atop one another. No sooner was she settled then Prowl and Optimus walked in the door.

Jazz smiled. These twins where incredibly entertaining.

2. Medbay --

It was a quiet day in the Medbay. Ratchet sighed to himself as he entered the "waiting room" after getting his daily ration of energon. Mirage was sitting with Wheeljack talking about something technical, probably the spy's cloaking device. Ratchet passed with a nod to both mechs and headed into the heart of the medbay. The "waiting room" served as a place to keep the non critically injured or frantic mates and lovers after a battle. Beyond the waiting room the Medbay itself, with it's intensive care units and sugary suites. Here, as long as there wasn't a battle going on, all mechs where welcome. Ratchet had only one rule, no or very little noise. Anyone of the crew could come and simply have a long stretch of silence to think, read and even in a few rare cases draw in peace. Often they kept anybot that was still stuck in here recovering company and just as often they where here to seek their own solitude.

Today it didn't look like anyone was here beyond the waiting room. Despite the apparent lack of bots Ratchet still did a check to make sure. It would be inconvenient should Ironhide show up and they be interrupted by and overlooked visitor. A quick check reviled quite a surprise. Back in the back corner Wildfire and Tek sat together on a recovery table. Ratchet was used to these two frequent visitor, just never together.

The twins sat side by side, their left hands interlaced at the fingers. Ratchet thought they looked… sad. Tek laid his head on Wildfire's as his door wings drooped behind his back. Ratchet felt an overwhelming sorrow radiating from the both of them. The medic turned away and headed back to his office. He would let them greave in peace.

3. Surprise! Or not… --

Jazz was trying to hide his grin as Wildfire presented the data pad to her brother Tek. The icy blue Corvette took the pad and booted up the screen. Jazz already knew what was on the pad, after all it was the same one he had just given to Prowl. The stogy, logic driven tactician had taken one look at the two simple lines typed into the pad and promptly went into processor lock. Wildfire had been near the med bay and overheard Jazz's story as he ducked wrenches and punches to the face from the Hatchet. When Jazz had been chased out into the hallway Wildfire all but pounced on him. Jazz had handed over the offensive data pad and fallowed the fem as she practically skipped to her brother's office. Once there she handed over the pad and, unsuspecting anything amiss, Tek took it and read what was there. Jazz watched as Tek calmly laid down the pad and frowned at his sister.

"Both statements are false."

"What?" Wildfire asked.

Jazz didn't know who was more astonished, him or Wildfire. Tek steepled his fingers as his door wings crept up a little higher on his back.

"The next statement is false. The previous statement is true. Was the hypothesis put forth on the data pad. Obviously both can not be accurate. Therefore both are false."

"And just how did you come up with that?" Wildfire asked.

"For the first statement to be accurate the second statement must be false. However for the second statement to be accurate it must be true, making the first statement false. Thus, because they both can not be true and they are therefore both false."

Jazz found himself rather impressed with the young hacker. Those two little lines that had sent Prowl into lock up and into the medbay. He watched as Tek looked up at his sister who folded her arms and pouted.

"You are absolutely no fun." Wildfire snorted before turning on her heel and leaving.

Paperwork Fairy--

"… Jazz?"

Prowl watched as the third in command lifted his head from the desk. Jazz had taken to doing his own "paperwork" in Prowl's office. Though his efficiency had only gone up slightly, 1.2% Prowl's battle computer supplied. Jazz smiled at him, more then likely expecting to be scolded for falling into recharge when he was supposed to be working... again. This time however it wasn't a scolding Prowl had on his processor.

"Jazz have you seen this weeks inventory reports?"

The corners of Jazz's handsome mouth down turned in a frown as he shuffled some pads around.

"Naw, sorry Prowler, I don't got em'."

Prowl continued to look for the missing stack of reports and found a few others missing as well. Medical inventory, armory inventory, energon inventory, non-combat injury roster, personal item request forms, the weekly summery of the Lamborghini twins pranks and misadventures, leave requests. All where MIA. Worried that somehow the unfinished pads had accidentally made their way to Prime, Prowl commed his leader. When Optimus answered the black and white quickly explained the problem.

"I thought that was odd…" Optimus mused.

"I'm sorry sir. It wont happen again. I'll pick up the pads and finish them."

Optimus chuckled which only confused Prowl.

"No Prowl, the pads are all complete and in order. I just thought it was strange that it wasn't your signature singing off on them. But I understand now."

"Sir?" Prowl asked, optic ridges furrowing.

"Prowl, you have yourself what the humans might call a; "paperwork fairy." Optimus sniggered.

"Paperwork fairy?" Prowl logic center tried to comprehend what the pit that meant.

"It seems you have a new assistant." Optimus clarified.

"I haven't requested one." Prowl said quickly.

"I know," Optimus sighed. "And seeing as how you didn't know the paperwork was already submitted, you new assistant seems quite shy."

"I'll get to the bottom of this immediately." Prowl assured.

"Prowl old friend, if it gets some of the weight of the world off your shoulder struts you should treat your new assistant to a cube of high grade before they come to their senses."

Optimus cut the line, laughing to himself, before Prowl could reply. He could already see Prowl's confused face as he devoted himself to figuring out who was his paperwork fairy was. While the Prime was sure Prowl didn't approve of this development, he was sure Ratchet, Jazz and everyone else on base would. Provided it put the tactician in an all around better mood. After the initial bad mood of course. The Peaterbuilt sighed as he set the data pad he was holding onto the top of Prowl's missing stack. He would be the first to admit that when he'd seen the signature that wasn't Prowl's on the pads he thought someone was playing a prank on him.

"You are an interesting one…" Optimus said aloud to the stack of data pads. "Let see how long it takes Prowl to figure out it's you Tek."

4. Revenge Prank --

"Are you sure about this?" Tek whispered.

"If I wasn't sure would I be doing it?" Wildfire grinned.

Wildfire peeked around the corner to make sure the coast was clear as Tek fidgeted in his armor. The plating felt odd and uncomfortable and he longed to scratch and move it.

"What if we get caught?"

The red car turned back and grinned broadly at her brother.

"So what if we do? It's not like WE'LL be the ones getting in trouble."

Tek ran the logic through his programming again to be sure. He still didn't like the feeling of dread that came with the ever so small percent chance of failure. His sister picked up on it.

"That's the whole point! You want to see how much you can get away with without being caught. Now, you remember the plan right?"

"Are you insulting my memory?"

"Just being thorough. Now… lets go."

Red Alert was hunched over the security controls like he always was. Scrutinizing every last inch of the Ark for all possible threats to security. He caught a glimpse of the Lamborghini brothers Sunstreaker and Sideswipe on one of the many monitors. They were never good news. He fallowed their movement until he was sure their usual prankster behavior wasn't directed at him. The security director sighed and sat back slightly. He knew that he was a bit uptight and as humans said, ok EVERYONE said "paranoid." He knew he was overly paranoid, but the majority of the bots he was looking out for had forgotten that he and his paranoia had saved them all from quite a number of bad things. Red sat back in his chair and stretched out his arms. Maybe he finally needed to take that vacation everybody swore he needed. He frowned, if we was watching the disastrous duo like they where a pair of Deceptacon seekers he need that break sooner than later. It wasn't like they would be completely helpless without him here. Maybe if he got the Lambo twins inside the Decpatcon base for a while he could rest easy. Red grinned at the thought of finally being able to relax while the brothers caused havoc under someone else's watch for a change. Suddenly he spun his chair around to look at the door to the security room.

"WHO'S THERE?!" He yelled.

There was nothing and no one else in the room with him. Red Alert stood out of habit. He could swear to Primus himself he had heard that door open. _The monitors! They'll let me see if anyone was here! _He thought as he sat back down. He was in the middle of turned back around when it happened. Out of nowhere laser blasts filled the room.

"DECEPTICON ATTACK!! DECEPTICON ATTACK!!" Red screeched as he threw himself to the ground.

Red fired back wildly as he mashed the security breech alarm. Sirens wailed and lights flashed all through out the Ark. One of Red's laser blasts hit the control panel for the door and the damaged mechanism jerked open in the death throw.

"Oh SHIT!"

Red looked up to see a wildly grinning Sideswipe and a thunderstruck Sunstreaker staring back at him amid the chaos.

"What in the!?"

Red looked down at the floor and saw a string of black cat firecrackers still smoking from their recent use. He looked back up to the twins that where both laughing hysterically now.

"YOU PIT SPAWNED SLAG HEEPS!" the security director shrieked as he scrambled to his feet.

"RUUUN!!" Sides yelled as he pushed his brother into the hall.

Red could have sworn that Sunstreaker looked downright panicked as Sideswipe grabbed his hand and ran.

"GET BACK HERE YOU TWIN GLITCH RIDDEN ABOMINATIONS!"

Red Alert screamed as he chased after the retreating Lamborghinis into the crowed hall. The Autobots that showed up to answer the alert where shoved out of the way as the fugitives from justice raced past.

"What in the name of Primus is going on here!?" Jazz yelled as he ran towards the source of the hysteria.

"STOP THEM! STOP THEM!" RedAlert screeched.

Jazz could only guess "them" meant Streaker and Sides who where racing right for him. Prowl decided to show up on the scene right then next to Jazz an instant later. The tactician threw his arms out to stop the twins.

"Stop right there!" Prowl yelled.

Jazz thought for sure those two were going to try and crash right through them. He braced for the impact as Prowl repeated his warning. With engine rev and the sound of shifting metal the twins transformed in mid stride. The Lamborghinis perfectly executed a tight figure eight between the legs of the two standing officers and with screeching tires rounded a bend in the hall out of sight. Jazz didn't have time to turn back around before Red Alert plowed into him and Prowl. All three mechs fell to the floor in a heap of limbs and curses.

"You're letting them get away!" Red yelled as he got back on his feet.

"Red! Wait! Come back!"

Jazz and Prowl stumbled up and after the crazed mech. They found him around the corner screaming at a couple of bots that pointed him down the hall.

"They all went that way!" Wildfire said.

Her optics where wide with confusion as Jazz and Prowl approached.

"What's the alert all about?! What's going on?"

"It's nothing! Just the twins again!" Prowl said. "Go back to your stations!"

"We'll take care of this!" Jazz said as the both ran after Red.

Wildfire grabbed Tek's hand and pulled him into an empty storage room and shut the door after Prowl and Jazz where out of sight. Once she was sure that they weren't going to be overheard she burst out laughing holding her sides. The Mustang had to lean against the door to stay on her feet. Tek grinned sheephishly and laughed himself.

"You've still got some yellow on ya there "Sunstreaker." Wildfire said between laughs.

She pointed to his arm that was half yellow and half his normal navy blue. Tek quickly righted his error as Wildfire broke down into hysterical laughter again.

"Are you sure that was really a good idea?" Tek asked. "Red Alert wasn't in the most stable mind frame to begin with."

"If anything we helped him out. Now he can be as paranoid as he wants and has this as an excuse for being that way!"

"And the REAL twins?" Tek asked. "RedAlert hitting the alarm wasn't in the original calculations. They'll really be in trouble when their found."

Wildfire's grin looked like it belonged on the evil faceplates of Megatron himself.

"It's just pay back." She sneered.

"THAT was pay back?" Tek asked stunned. "That was over the top for just pay back."

There was that wicked Deceptacon like grin again.

"I pay back everything done to me a hundred fold brother. I KNOW that they where the ones that started that roumor about Zack and I."

"As a ranking officer I can't condone this kind of behavior…"

Wildfire's laughter stopped as she sighed and looked at her brother with disappointment.

"… from the Lamborghini brothers. I'll see to it personally that they install the new door to the security room. It took me three day to install the codes in that and two more before they where up to RedAlert's rigorous standards."

Wildfire broke out in a huge grin as her brother sheepishly smiled back. The red mustang held out her hand and the corvette grasped it.

"I believe that this is the beginning of a new regime of terror." Wildfire hissed.

"Who's next?" Tek asked.

This being disobedient thing was rather fun if you weren't caught. There was a rush coursing through his fuel lines that he had never felt before, and he rather liked the feeling. He watched as his sister's blue optics filled with twisted delight.

"I think Prowl's office needs a visit."

Tek's face lost its grin.

"Prowl!?"

"The duty roster also needs a last minute update."

Wildfire took her brother's hand again as she led him out the door, grin ever widening.

"I think a nice long string of guard duty is in order for our dearly loved second in command. Let's go while no one is watching the cameras!"


	19. Training Day

_**Obviously set in movie-vers as you shall soon see. I don't really remember what inspired this. I've been working on it a looooong time. Like the day after seeing the second movie long time. Wildfire's a little more… how you say… brutal in movie-vers (like everyone else) but she is far kinder to humans and she interacts with them a lot better then her own "people." I wanted to paly around with that and her shape shifting that I just barely got around to defining in this little fic. Anyways, IT'S DOOOOONE!! FINALLY!!**_

_**~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~**_

_**The N.E.S.T task force moved slowly, but purposefully, through the light scattering of trees. They knew how important this mission was, they couldn't afford any screw ups. Under normal circumstances they would have some "classified" back up, but not this time. It was all them, and only them. Major Lennox led the way, weapon at the ready, eyes constantly moving, looking for the danger he knew was out there somewhere. Master Sergeant Epps flanked him, pointing a sophisticated device in front of them and sweeping the area. **_

"_**Nothin' yet." Epps whispered into the com system that connected him to the entire team.**_

"_**We know the boggy is close, this one is a real tricky bastard so don't let your guard down for a second." Lennox informed his team. "Right flank you pick up anything yet?"**_

"_**Nothing yet sir."**_

"_**Left flank?"**_

"_**Nothing sir."**_

_**Lennox wanted to curse but thought better of it. That's just want this damn thing wanted him to do. It wanted him to lose his cool and make a mistake.**_

"_**Not this time you "non biological" bastared." Lennox scoffed to himself.**_

_**Slowly the drag net made it to a small clearing only about half a football field wide. Major Lennox held up a fist and the entire line came to a halt. Lennox didn't like the feeling he got deep in his gut as he surveyed the clearing. There where some tree stumps and a pile of downed trees near the center of the open space. However it looked too small to be hiding something the size of what they were hunting.**_

"_**You got that feeling too Major?" asked a female voice over the com system.**_

"_**JESS!" Epps snapped before his commander could. "What have we said about you tagging along on missions?" **_

"_**That I have to stay quiet." Came the sighing response.**_

"_**That's right!" Lennox and Epps said in unison.**_

"_**Your job is babysitting the Transformers! Not huntin' em down! Leave that to us." Epps said, clearly unhappy the women Jess had tagged along.**_

"_**HEY! Who was it that saved your asses in Rome? Do you WANT another Italy incident?" **_

"_**Look you..!" Epps stared.**_

"_**Stop you two! Just! Stop talking!" Lennox sighed. "Green team, tighten up! I have a feeling this is it."**_

_**With a silent wave of his hand Lennox ordered his men forward. Everyone was on high alert as they stepped out of the cover of the trees into the clearing. The all knew their query had to be close and that this would be the ideal place for an attack. When they reached the halfway point everyone was on a hear trigger. Nerves where strained nearly to the breaking point.**_

"_**Easy boys… eaaaasy…" Lennox said softly.**_

_**The major was sweeping the trees before him with his rifle. Then, there was the slightest little click, just at the edge of his hearing, that made Lennox's blood run cold.**_

"_**BEHIND!"**_

_**Was all he had time to scream. It was too little too late. Even as he was spinning around to fire the NBE was already transformed and it's cloak already disengaged. The transformer got the first snots of the battle. TICKTICKTICKTICKTICKTICKTICKTICK! Went the machine guns mounted on it's arms. The startled soldiers couldn't get out of the way in time. They tried to throw themselves to the ground but ten of the twenty didn't make it in time and where blasted back, red smeared across their chests. **_

"_**Foolish humans!" The metal alien snapped as it closed the distance between the remaining soldiers with ground eating strides.**_

"_**FIRE!!" Lennox shouted. "AIM FOR THE RED!" **_

_**This time it was the humans turn to let lose a deadly barrage of bullets. The giant living machine reared back as its long arms came up to protect itself. Something about this transformer was different from the rest. While its body was a silvery grey its joints where bright red. On other places where its armor was weak was more red; highlighting the weakness. It was like someone had painted a target on the Decepticon's body. In an instant there was a splattering sound as green appeared on the metal body. Once the transformer was certain none of its joints was hit with green it uncurled from its protected stance and when on the offensive. It's long arms whipped out with un-natural speed and plucked two men from the ground while it's body was peppered with more green, none of which found it's mark on the red targets.**_

"_**GET IN THE TREES!" Lennox screamed at the top of his lungs.**_

_**They had no chance against the Decepticon out in the open, they had to get behind some cover. That thing couldn't move in the trees, it was their only hope. The alien pressed down upon the retreating men, growling and snarling it spit some kind of foamy liquid at them as the ground was torn apart with gunfire. Lennox did his best to provide covering fire for his men as they raced for the trees, firing wildly behind them as they did. Beside him elbow to elbow Epps helped his friend and commander. Lennox was grateful he didn't have to face this ugly thing alone. Epps and Lennox saw the solder fall the same moment the NBE did.**_

"_**MAN DOWN!" Epps yelled as he broke away from his friend to help the downed man.**_

"_**EPPS! NO!"**_

_**The Major tried to grab the Master Sergeant but Epps was already sprinted to the man's side disregarding the bullets whizzing through the air. Epps slid to a stop and knelt, grapping his teammate by the elbow and hauled him to his feet.**_

"_**Come on solder!" He yelled encouragingly. **_

_**Lennox was a few strides behind his friend, trying to warn them to move.**_

"_**GET OUT OF THE WAY!" He tired to get their attention.**_

_**Both men never saw it coming. One minute Lennox was screaming and waving for them to run, and the next he was blown backwards by the force of a huge metal foot that came slamming down on the two men struggling to stand. Lennox lay on his back gasping for breath as he struggled to breath. The major fought to right himself despite his burning lungs and managed to make it up to his knees when he found himself face to ugly face with the Decepticon. It's nightmarish red eyes seemed to smile despite being wholly inorganic and supposedly incapable of such a feet.**_

"_**Well hello Major." The large alien said, it's "mouth" full of razor sharp teeth curving up into what could have been considered a smile. **_

_**As it reached for him with evil looking claws five bolts of green splattered on the red wrist joint. The Transformer flung itself back with a howl in its native language. Lennox didn't look a gift horse in the mouth and flat out ran. The NBE whipped around to try and find who had shot it's now useless wrist. Before the Decepticon could retaliate more bullets whizzed from somewhere in the trees, slamming into the back of one of the vulnerable knee joints. The metallic monster screeched as its joint buckled under its massive weight.**_

"_**WHO DARES?!" It raged.**_

_**Another bullet winged the best's head. The transformer howled and put it's still working hand to its head, exposing its functioning elbow joint. That joint too was slathered in green, and the arm fell away, useless. **_

"_**I'LL KILL YOU VERMIN! SHOW YOURSELF!"**_

_**The other side of the monster's head was winged as Lennox watched the events unfold with his regrouped men from the safety of the trees.**_

"_**Sir what the hell is going on?"**_

"_**Hell if I know!" Lennox snapped. "Who is still alive out there?!"**_

_**If there was an answer to his question it was cut off by a computerized roar and a soft thump. The major looked back out at the battle field to see the knelling transformer growling and snapping at a lone solider standing just at the edge of the clearing. Their sniper rile slung over their back and rifle aiming at its metal target, blocking the soldier's face.**_

"_**You'll regret this day human!"**_

"_**Shut up you walkin' talkin' scrap heap!"**_

_**From the cut of the uniform, bullet proof vest and powerful stance one couldn't tell that this soldier was female until she spoke. Her voice didn't break or sound nervous the slightest bit as she stared down the barrel of her high-powered rifle at something easily fifteen times her size. **_

"_**You'll regret that insult fleashling!" **_

_**BAM! The Decepticon shrieked as green splattered in it's right optic sensor.**_

"_**I'll make you regret coming to my planet first you Decepti-scum! Long live Optimus Prime!"**_

_**In a blind fury the wounded Cybertronion lunged for the single human. One arm and wrist useless left the attacking Decepticon unable to use it's weapons or even transform, leaving it with the soul option of crushing the insolate human. POP POP POP POP POP! Went the human's rifle as she held her ground. The other metal knee went from red to green. The joint buckled and gave out, sending the ten ton mass careening right for the woman solider. Like a cat the human ran forward, tuck and rolled right between the massive legs out of harm's way as the NBE went down hard. It seemed the entire world shook for a few breathless seconds and then all was calm. The female solider brought her gun to bear on her target as the metal limbs kept moving. The Decepticon cursed in its own language as it barely managed to flip itself onto its back with its simi-functioning arm. Boldly, but carefully, the woman climbed up the transformers chest and stood on top of the massive alien.**_

"_**Am I going to get a security perimeter around this thing or am I going to have to do that myself too?" She barked.**_

"_**God damn it!" Lennox snarled. "Let's get this over with!" **_

_**The Major said to his six remaining men. The brave soldiers quickly burst from the forest cover, weapons ready as they quietly formed a circle around the groaning alien.**_

"_**Damn it Jess!" Lennox snapped. "You where just tagging along to watch!"**_

"_**From where I sat you needed a little help."**_

_**Weapon still pointing only a foot from the Decepticon's face Jess lifted her left wrist to her mouth.**_

"_**Big man, green team here, we have captured the boggy. Requesting instructions." **_

_**Over the squads communication line a deep voice rumbled, not intimidating or weak, simply a soothing baritone with an undercurrent of born authority.**_

"_**Stay sharp green team. Estimated arrival time T minus one minute. We'll take it from there."**_

_**Jess smirked as she lowered her wrist but not her rifle.**_

"_**Looks like we win this round." **_

_**The Decepticon sneered at her, redish liquid dribbling from its mouth. **_

"_**More will fallow! This planet will be dust when we're exacted our revenge!" **_

"_**And we'll be here to welcome em'." Jess said defiantly.**_

_**The robot lunged teeth first at the woman standing on it. With inhuman balance Jess kept her footing and let lose the rest of the clip. Green exploded at point blank range and the metal body jerked violently. When the magazine was empty Jess loaded another with lightning quickness, ready for whatever was next.**_

"_**BACK UP! BACK UP!" Lennox ordered.**_

_**His men obeyed the command and quickly gave the thrashing limbs space. Slowly, like a dying battery, the moment came to a stop. All tension left the limbs and the body sagged against the ground limp and utterly defeated. Jess watched the red light fading from the creatures eyes until they where dark. Carefully she advanced on the robot's face and pressed the mussel of her gun to the lifeless optic sensor.**_

"_**Welcome ta EARTH!" she quoted as she pulled the tigger.**_

_**The huge sliver body jerked and fell still again. Jess shouldered the big gun and spoke into her wrist again."**_

"_**Cancel that pick up big-"**_

"_**HEY!" Lennox snapped. "I'm in charge here!"**_

"_**Sorry Major," Jess said with a fleeting smile. "I forget I'm stepping on your toes."**_

"_**Like I was going to say; cancel that pick up Big Man. We had a fighter and terminated the boggy. We need a recovery crew out here." **_

"_**Understood Major." Said the powerful voice.**_

"_**Alright boys that's a wrap!" Lennox said as he turned addressing the men. "Everyone huddle up and wait for e-vak choppers! Training complete, us 1 bad guys 0." **_

"_**Hey! I resent that!" a computerized voice said a bit peeved sounding.**_

_**Major William Lennox turned back around in time to see the transformer on the ground raise to it's elbows. The Cybertronion's eyes blazed back to life but the red was gone. Instead it was replaced by a deep navy blue that blinked and turned to the human that was still standing on it's chest.**_

"_**I didn't mean you Wildfire." Lennox said tersely. He was beyond pissed right now.**_

"_**And YOU!" The now distinctly more feminine sounding voice said to Jess who now had one leg propped up on the sliver shoulder like she was Captain Morgan. "Really? The WHOLE clip? We're you trying to get paint in my processors? You do realize that YOU'RE the one that will be cleaning this green shit off me." **_

_**Jess smiled an easy smile as she leaned over and wiped some of the paint off the bright blue optics with her hands.**_

"_**Me casa, su casa." **_

"_**And was that last shot REALLY necessary? That kind a' hurt." **_

"_**Not for a training exercise," Jess smirked. "But it was sure fun." **_

"_**HEY!" Epps snapped as he appeared at the Transformer's clawed foot that had crushed him. "You wanta talk about unnecessary you big bucket of blots?! Why'd ya scare the SHIT out of me and Figg like that?!" **_

_**The Cybertronion called Wildfire carefully sat up as Jess jumped from her perch. **_

"_**Cons like to squished things." The robot shrugged. "I was just acting out the part. You guys wanted realism."**_

"_**Realism my big black ASS!" Epps roared. "I got four kids and a wife I want to be able to go home to! Next time you think about turning me into robot toe jam for "realism" DON'T!"**_

"_**Hey you aren't toe jam now are ya?" The robot asked. **_

_**The steady beat of a helicopter's rotor blades broke up the conversation. Two big CH-46 Sea Knight tandem-rotor helicopters appeared over the tops of the trees. All the soldiers under Lennox's command started appearing again, the one's that had been shot before all had red paint smears on their bullet proof vests and hands. All but one human present would agree that playing paintball with a Transformer wasn't as fun as they though it would be. Even more so when said transformer totally kicked your ass. The N.E.S.T team clustered around the pick up point as the helicopters wheels touched down. Wildfire's mouth plates twitched a little when the men started to file in to the Sea Knights without another word to her.**_

"_**They sure are a talkative bunch." The large transformer mumbled as she pushed herself to her feet.**_

_**The movement and metallic groaning that accompanied it startled the team still on the ground. Jess tapped the now standing metal giant's leg with a fist.**_

"_**Their just butt hurt you slaughtered them at their own game."**_

_**The two females watched paint and dirt splattered men climb into the copters with their head lowered. Lennox was the last to board and before he closed the door he stuck his head back out. He pointed to his eyes, then to Jess and Wildfire and then over his shoulder before slamming the door. Jess sighed, the meaning was clear; "I'm watching, get your asses back to base." Jess shielded her face with the back of her hand as the roaring wind of the helicopters kicked up dusk as they lifted into the air. Both twin copters rose above the trees and headed off in the direction of Diego Garcia. Wildfire's blue eyes watched them go and when they where out of sight she sighed. **_

"_**We are going to be in trouble when we get back aren't we?"**_

_**Jess shrugged as she tossed the paint ball rifle over her shoulder when it made a "clank" against her custom paint ball sniper rifle.**_

"_**Naw, you pry won't be. I'm the one that's gonna get an earful."**_

"_**Why?"**_

"_**Cuz I TOTALLY kicked your ass." Jess smirked as she put her hands on her hips.**_

"_**Oh no you didn't! You kicked a low intelligence Decepticon's ass. If you've have been fighting the real me it would have been good guys 0, bad guys 1."**_

"_**Get over yourself!" Jess scoffed. "You're just pissy a human took you down single handedly."**_

"_**Me? Excuse me you're the one with the ego here miss "welcome at Earth!" **_

_**Jess playfully threw up here hands and rolled her eyes.**_

"_**Aliens!" She pretend to yell in frustration. **_

_**Jess then waved to her metal counterpart as she stated walking the direction the helicopters had taken.**_

"_**Come on lets get this over with."**_

_**Wildfire waited until her human was a couple steps away and then…**_

"_**Oh Jessssssy!" WIldfire purred. **_

"_**What now fir-!"**_

_**SPLAT! Jess froze as she was in mid turn to address the transformer. Red paint dribbled down her chest and little flecks of ruby dotted her neck, chin and cheeks. The woman's blue-green eyes where wide with shock and her mouth was hanging open. All in all she looked like a cat that had just been dunked in water. Wildfire smirked as she retracted her paintball gun and lowered her arm. The huge Cybertronion stepped over her much smaller friend as the red paint dripped down onto her boots.**_

"_**Pay back's a bitch isn't it?" She said. **_

_**The robot managed a human like swagger as she headed back to base. Jess reached behind her back as Wildfire turned her back to the human.**_

_**~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~**_

_**Lennox was waiting for the two MIA soldiers outside the main hanger. In the fading light he made out a large truck towing a pallet heading for the front gate. On the back of the truck was something very big covered with a blue camping tarp. Lennox let out a long sigh as the truck was waved through the gate and made it's way towards him. He uncrossed his arms and walked towards the truck as it jerked to a stop. Jess leapt lightly from the cab, covered head to toe in red. Her black hair was matted to her head with sweat and quickly drying paint. Little whips of black plastered across her face. Her camouflaged fatigues make it look like she had just stabbed somebody and her boots left faint red prints behind her.**_

"_**HEY!" Lennox snapped. "I need to talk to you."**_

_**Jess ignored him and went to the back trailer bed to undo the locks holding down the tarp.**_

"_**Give me a hand with these and I'll get done quicker!" Jess shouted back at him.**_

_**The major set his face in a frown but set stepped to the opposite side of the flat bed and started undoing the straps holding down the truck's cargo. As he unsnapped the last buckle the Transformer underneath it lifted a hand, raising the tarp just enough to for Lennox to see the flashing blue eyes.**_

"_**Hello again major." The Cybertronion said with a smile.**_

"_**Wildfire." Lennox nodded. "Prime wants a word with you." **_

_**A breeze ruffled his short crew cut as the huge machine sighed. **_

"_**Can it wait till I get shower?"**_

"_**He was insistent that you see him the moment you got back." **_

"_**Fine." Wildfire snorted, one double jointed leg stepping off the bed of the trailer.**_

_**Lennox watched with a twinge of trepidation as Wildfire got to "her" feet. Lennox was used to being around large pieces of machinery like cargo planes and Osprey's but one that could think for itself and possibly step on you if it didn't watch where it was going still made him uneasy. On top of that the "female" robot looked like a clone of Starscream. Lennox had only bad memories of that machine and prayed to god that he never came back. The major hoped Wildfire would hurry up and change her appearance back to normal because right now she scent chills down his spine. **_

_**~!~!~**_

_**Wildfire's long legs made short work of the distance to the hanger as the big blast doors opened for her. She squeezed her body through the small gap and was instantly greeted by the twin ankle sized irritants Skidds and Mudflap. **_

"_**YO! Check this bitch out!" Skidds yelled to his brother who was only feet away. "She comes in here dripping paint all over the place looken' like Starscream! I almost shot her punk ass!"**_

_**Wildfire had the fleeting thought of putting her foot down on the red compact and crushing the life out of him. The sliver bot instead stepped over the bickering brothers and contained the urge to kill the both of them. She had better not make Optimus any more angry with her. Besides there was always the "I swear I didn't see them when I launched those missiles!" defense for later. **_

"_**Hey Fire!" Skiddz yelled up at her, braking her concentration. "Your dumb ass is suuuure in trouble! Isn't she Mudflap?"**_

"_**I'll say!" The green twin taunted as both darted in and out of her legs as she walked. "Prime is PISSED! He gonna' bust a cap in yo ass!"**_

_**The odd mix of bots passed by Jolt and Ratchet who were resting in their alt modes. The Arcee sister wheeled out to see what the noise was all about but quickly disappeared. Wildfire really wished someone else would distract the terrible two before she blew a gasket. Optimus spent his time on base at the command post so Wildfire headed that direction, annoyances still in tow. As the fembot passed between hanger bays a black bot stepped out of the shadows. Wildfire hesitated mid-step but then kept walking when she recognized the bot's energy signal. **_

"_**One day…" The new bot said in a deep voice. "You couldn't go one day with out an incident."**_

"_**Not now Zack." Wildfire hissed as she tried to walk by. **_

_**The dark mech stepped into her path and stopped her in her tracks. Finally, seeming to notice the new large bot the twins turned their attentions to Zack.**_

"_**What the hell do you think your doing hidin' in the shadows like that you Decepticon bitch?" One of them snapped.**_

_**The black mech's blue visord face stayed locked on the fembot and he ignored the jab and the rest that fallowed it. He was looking at the green paint that leaked from under Wildfire's armor plates and dribbled between the jet engines mounted on her back.**_

"_**You're disgusting." He snarled.**_

_**There was a "whizzing" sound, then a SPLAT and Zack's blue visor was splattered in Red.**_

_**Zack howled as his long sliver claws flew to his face.**_

"_**OH MY GOD! She totally just shot him!" a twin yelled.**_

"_**Oh now it's ON! I'm gonna teach this bitch some manors!"**_

_**Before either twin could get a shot in a long clawed arm swung down and backhanded one, tossing the little bot like he was nothing. The other found himself pinned to the floor by a long sleek, double jointed leg. Two sharp pieces of metal that pointed upwards now pointed down at his face.**_

"_**LET ME GO YOU MEGATON UGLY SON OF A…" Skidds yelled as he squirmed.**_

_**A loud humming sound accompanied a large gun being shoved in his face.**_

"_**This one doesn't shoot paint." Wildfire snarled darkly. **_

_**Skidds gulped and for once fell silent. Wildfire growled as she spun and removed her foot from the smaller Transformer, coming optic to paint dripping visor with Zack. The two warriors stared at each other in complete silence. **_

"_**Watch it fembot." The black mech said quietly. **_

"_**You still got a little paint right there." Wildfire sneered as she pointed to Zack's face. **_

_**Next thing she knew five razor sharp claws where wrapped around her throat. **_

"_**Your pushing your luck." Zack growled.**_

"_**Really? Because the way I see it…" Wildfire wiggled her gun that was pressed under the mech's protective chest armor. "You've got your dumb claws on my neck and I've got an Ion pistol to your spark." **_

_**Another silent staring contest settled over the two that was quickly broken by the appearance of another mech.**_

"_**ZACK. WILDFIRE."**_

_**Both warriors stepped away from each other as Optimus Prime stepped between them. His blue optics turned to each as they obediently put their weapons away. Zack's claws flexed and then retraced back to their neutral positions while Wildfire's guns spun around and folded back into the sides of her legs, freeing her hands.**_

"_**Optimus Sir." Zack said with a respectful nod, though he didn't take his visor off Wildfire. **_

_**Optimus's optics then turned to Wildfire.**_

"_**You wanted to see me… Sir**_**?" Wildfire seemed to choke on the world sir.**

**Optimus took in the splatters of paint on almost every surface of her and gave her a questioning optic. Wildfire resisted the urge to snap at the large mech that it was his fault that she couldn't have washed first. While she didn't mind the paint at first, it was starting to get deep into her joints. It was itchy and starting to grate on her nerves. And those nerves where getting dangerously thin. **

"**You had to see me right away." Wildfire said with a coldness reserved only for other Cybertronions. **

"**Come with me." He ordered.**

**With that the big Pearterbuilt turned and started back to the mobile command post.**

"**Oh bitch gonna get it now!" **

"**She in for a WORLD of hurt!"**

**Optimus shot both grinning twins and withering glare. The young recruits cringed and scuttled away to the other hanger. Zack didn't need a warning look. He had already made himself scarce before he was ordered to keep the twins busy. Wildfire silently feel into step a few strides behind Optimus. She still didn't understand why she was in for ANOTHER "talking too" as Jess liked to call them. She hadn't done anything against the numbers rules that now governed her life. This was ridiculous.**

**Into the command hanger she was lead, and it didn't escape here that Sideswipe was back in a corner watching her. Ironhide, however, seemed to be the more imminent threat. The big black top kick was waiting for them, and he didn't seem to be in a good mood. **

"**What took you so long?" The old bot snapped as he folded his arms. **

**Wildfire had a few snappy comebacks but she was weary of the hulking black bot. Not because it might start a fight, but because she knew she would. It was hard to keep her irritation in check when the old bot's faceplates twisted into a look of disgust. What was with everyone's abhorrence of a little paint? It's not like it didn't wash off. Ironhide started to say something more but Optimus raised his hand to silence his old friend. The top kick fell silent reluctantly. The Autobot leader then turned to Wildfire who stood a few yards away from both officers. **

"**Wildfire please explain yourself."**

"**I don't know what you want me to explain." Wildfire said with a shrug of her massive shoulders. Something she had picked up from the humans. "I don't know why we're having this conversation or why it's so damn important I couldn't wash first." **

"**Watch your mouth punk!" Ironhide growled loudly. **

**Wildfire only glared. She had more comebacks to that but opted to ignore the urge to taunt the older warrior. **

"**You where told to allow the humans to defeat you in this training exercise." **

"**And I did didn't I?" **

**Optimus had to take a step forward to cut off Ironhide from advancing on the young fighter and speaking his mind.**

"**Your method put Lennox and his team in unnecessary danger. We are here to protect the humans. Not harm them." **

**Wildfire suppressed a low growl.**

"**I'm to not going to hurt them. They wanted realism, I gave it to them and nobody got hurt." **

**Wildfire said calmly, though the only thing she wanted to do was start throwing punches in frustration. **

"**It was unacceptable." Optimus said sternly. "The humans have made it very clear that they will not tolerate any behavior they perceive as a threat." **

"**Yes," Wildfire snarled. "I realize that I can be a little rough when training, but the Decepiticons aren't going to be pulling any punches when it comes to killing humans. You want them to be ready for the next attack? That's what I'm doing. If you don't like the way I operate someone else can go get shot at and scrape paint out of their chassis!" **

**Optimus couldn't stop Ironhide this time. The topkick moved faster then his leader and advanced on the Decpeiticon looking fembot, blue optics flashing dangerously. Wildfire tensed and held her ground without flinching as Ironhide gabbed a finger in her chest. **

"**Listen youngling! You'd better get that attitude of you're straightened out or I'm going to give you a 50 caliber reformatting!" **

**Wildfire locked optics with Ironhide and counted to ten… slowly, before she spoke.**

"**Understood. If there's nothing else… commanders… I have a date with the wash racks." **

"**I'm removing you from training exercises." Optimus said as he stepped to Ironhide's side. "Sideswipe will be taking over that duty until such a time I feel I can trust your judgment of human safety."**

"**Is that all… **_**Sir**_**?"**

"**Watch your tongue!" Ironhide snarled.**

"**I know you like the humans Wildfire," Optimus said in a softer voice. "But they are still intimidated by us. Treating them like one of us isn't a good idea. They are fragile creatures and easily hurt. Give them time to get to know us better before you treat them like friends." **

"**May I go now?" Wildfire monotoned, unmoved by the entire conversation.**

"**Yes. You're excused."**

**Wildfire didn't need anymore urging then that. She turned on her double jointed legs and walked out of the command hanger. Ironhide folded his arms and drew himself up to his full height. **

"**Kid's got a real attitude problem. You give me a week and I'll have her straightened out." **

"**That won't be necessary… at the moment." Optimus sighed. **

"**Really? Because she did it again. We gave her strict orders NOT to change her form." **

"**I know." **

"**A blatant disregard for orders! And what's worse? She looks like Starscream! She's gonna get herself shot!" **

"**I know Ironhide. But yelling and threatening will not get her to come around to our way of thinking. We need to give her time as well." **

**~!~!~!~ **

**Jess and Lennox looked up from the truck they had be talking by as Wildfire squeezed back out of the hanger she had disappeared into only a half hour or so ago. Without so much as a glance at the humans she stormed off towards the back of the hanger. **

"**Aaaaaand that's my que to stop Armageddon." Jess sighed. **

**While in her bipedal mode, Wildfire usually walked slow enough to allow Jess or any other human to keep up her at a comfortable pace for them. But right now Jess was running to keep up with those ground eating strides. **

"**HEY! HEY!" Jess shouted at the green encrusted back. "Slow down!"**

**Wildfire didn't slow down. There wasn't even a hesitation in her step. The large Cybertronion kept to her quick pace until she reached the wash rack. Well, what was making do for a wash rack anyways. It was just a few high powered hoses that where used for washing combat planes. Wildfire plopped herself down, creating a good sized earthquake. When Jess caught up Wildfire pointed to the hoses.**

"**Start with the wings!" Wildfire ordered. **

**Jess probably would have said something about that tone but she knew that anger and frustration wasn't directed at her personally. Without complaint Jess walked to the hoses and picked up one. She was not a fan of these things. The hoses where like the ones firefighters used only more powerful. With a grimace she turned the power on and braced herself as she turned on the water. Lucky for Jess she was abnormally strong, because a lesser human would be very literally blown away. The freezing water blasted the metallic back and Wildfire shuddered. The dried green paint didn't stand a chance. In only a few moments the Cybertrion's back was clean and the front soon fallowed after that. Jess cut the water and nearly collapsed. Fighting the damn hose was hard. Still covered in paint "blood" herself Jess sat cross legged on the soaking wet floor and watched Wildfire. It was the coolest thing in the world to watch when Wildfire transformed. **

**All "Transformers" could take the form of a vehicle and also a form humans called "robot." But there where some restrictions. Their "alternate mode" as they called it, must be a match to their mass. A smaller bot like the twins couldn't take the form of an F-22 Raptor because they didn't have enough mass to replicate it. Also, if a transformer couldn't fly before, they couldn't replicate a flight capable vehicle, and vice versa for flyers changing to ground bound vehicle. They also couldn't change their colors after replicating a vehicle. If they switched vehicle modes they could duplicate the new color, but they couldn't change it to one of their choosing afterwards. The most noticeable restriction was the limit to alt-modes a Cybertronion could have. One. It seemed that the Transformers could only transform into one "car" at a time. Wildfire, apparently, hadn't got the memo about those restrictions. **

**Ruby red coloring bloomed from the jet engines mounted on her back. It spread quickly across her body replacing the cold silver with the warm red. Black colors enveloped all for limbs and rearranged themselves into a flame pattern. Unlike the others of her species, she could change her color at will. After that parts of the engines, wings, and legs rearranged and folded into themselves, disappearing into Wildfire's chassis. Jess had dubbed this, "mass shifting." Wildfire could literally control and manipulate her mass to expand or shrink. This enabled her to scan and replicate almost any machine on Earth. Jess found this little talent most enjoyable. Wildfire could be a jet fighter one minute, and a sports car the next. And if that wasn't enough, there seemed to be no limit to how many vehicles Wildfire could transform into. She only had to scan it once and she could take that form at her leisure. Jess loved being able to ride in any model car in any color her heart desired. Right now it seemed Wildfire was taking the first form she had on Earth, that of Jess's dearly departed red mustang. The Cybertronion had shrunk in size and the wings and jet engines where gone, they where replaced by tires and doors. Jess didn't bother dusting herself off as she stood and made her way over to her shape shifting Mustang.**

"**Penny for your thoughts?" Jess asked as she came around to look in the robot's eyes. **

**Wildfire looked up at her and then her gaze fell back to her legs. **

"**Do I… intimidate… you Jess? Would you prefer I treated you differently?" **

**Jess's eyebrows arched and then furrowed. **

"**If you point one of those guns at me? Sure I'd be intimidated. But at the moment? No not really. And as long as your no planning on killing me I say you treat me just fine." **

"**Optimus seems to think I intimidate you humans." **

"**News flash Fire, Optimus is way more intimidating then you." **

"**Well thanks for that but he doesn't think so. He pulled me from training duty."**

"**Good! Those whinny bitches couldn't keep up with us anyways!" Jess smiled, dried paint flaking out of her hair. "Now we can have our own paintball games!" **

**Wildfire's optic's blinked as she looked at her human. Optimus was wrong. Jess was her friend. And Wildfire would treat her with all the respect due that title. Her human was tough. She could handle it. **

**~fin**


	20. Broken Mirror

This story takes place in the shattered glass universe. Why? Because it's damn awesome! It's like looking into a mirror and seeing what your evil self would look like. And It was fun coming up with how Wildfire and Zack would act in "shattered verce"

But I didn't think Shattered Glass was just about "oh everyone is just on the opposite side of what they where in the "real" universe." I think it's deeper then that. I think everyone's personality is the same, but aspects are twisted. Like how Optimus is still a mother fucking bad ass… he just now doesn't care if you live or die.

So Wildfire has become a sexy (very sexy) gun slinging double agent with a taste for blood.

And Zack AKA Duskstrike is just bat shit insane. But also a mother fucking genius.

Something both of them could be if their lives didn't take them they way they did. Anyways, enjoy the sexy darkness!

~!~!~!~!~!~

The Autobot base stood quiet in the twilight world Cybertron. There were no prisoners to torture tonight. Other nights would be more lively when the air was filled with screaming. Tonight only two guards stood by the front entrance shooting at scrap metal to pass the time until the next battle. One of them happened to glance up and caught sight of something walking their way. The first guard jumped to his feet, pointing his rifle at the intruder.

"Halt right there scum!"

The second guard recognized the silhouette of the bot that was almost upon them and tried to warn his buddy.

"Don't that's…!"

A single blaster bolt sailed through the first Autobot's cranial unit right between the optics. The bolt exploded out the back of his helmet. Spattering pinkish purple engergon on the wall behind him as the body slumped to the ground. The second, and still functioning, guard put up his hands and stepped away from the door.

"I trust YOU don't have any problems with your CPU?" the mystery bot asked.

The guard did his best not to squirm as he saluted the fem that had walked into the light. Her slight form was battle scared and tough, but still had the soft allure of the supposedly "more gentle" model of Cybertronions. Her chassis was the color of the void between the stars flames colored like the Autobot's insignia licked up her arms, legs, and robust chest plate.

"Of course not. Optimus is expecting you. "

The visitor shouldered the very large pistol as she stepped over the lifeless body that had fallen into the path.

"Dump this slag heap in rad zone before I come back." snapped the killer fem.

"Of course!"

The thick blast door of the Autobot's base slid open for the fembot that slipped inside without waiting. The shattered remains of other robots floating in tubes that lined the hall didn't get so much as a glance from her purple optics as the Cybertonion walked deeper into the lair. Her black paint sparkled in the dim lighting and the purple flames looked almost alive and menacing as she walked. When she reached the threshold to the inner chamber a grin split her face. The doors opened and she was instantly bathed in the harsh gold light and the intense heat of the smelting pool in the dead center of the thrown room. It looked like the Autobots had entertainment this cycle. Someone was standing on the diving platform over the lake of liquid metal.

"WILDFIRE! You've returned!"

Wildfire cocked her head to the side and put her hands on her hips. Optimus Prime, overlord of the Autobots, was sitting in his throne above the smelting pool, his closest lieutenants flanking him. The black and purple fem sauntered over, letting her hips swing back and forth which drew obscene cat calls from the gathered mechs. She shot them a board look as she mounted the steps to the throne of Optimus Prime where the Warlord waited. She stopped on the last stair and bowed. Though, she didn't avert her optics, a sign of defiance that wasn't overlooked, but was allowed for the time being.

"Of course I've returned to you Optimus," she purred. "I couldn't stand to be away from you. I hope you don't mind but I've killed a guard of yours. Apparently he thought I should identify myself."

Optimus beckoned her to him and, with a sultry smile, she made her way over.

"What consequence is one solider when I have the ultimate one before me? I trust you've brought me good news?"

Wildfire took a seat on the large purple transformer's lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. She knew he was smiling under that battle mask of his.

"Do I ever fail you my lord?" She whispered.

"I should have you killed for your insolence." Optimus purred, wrapping his own arms around the fembot's slim waist. "No one sits on the mighty Optimus Prime."

"And yet you've never once told me to get off." Wildfire smiled. "Besides, I've brought you a present."

Optimus raised an optic ridge as Wildfire pressed something into his chest.

"Your... intelligence leak… has been taken care of."

Optimus unwound one of his hands to take what Wildfire presented him with. It was the absolutely obliterated remains of a ember casing. Fresh energon still leaked out of its crushed center, showing that it had been torn out of a living, functioning body.

"You always know how to brighten my day." Optimus laughed.

"But wait! There's more!"

Wildfire dipped her other hand into her subspace and produced a disk that she dangled in front of the Autobot leader's glowing red optics.

"I just so happened to get my servos on the latest Decepticon intel. You know, what your pesky little intelligence leak happened to download in an attempt to rebel against you. Pretty interesting stuff in here." The fem taunted.

When Optimus reached for the disk it was jerked out of his reach.

"Ah ah ah! Payment first."

Had anyone else attempted that little stunt they probably would have already been blasted apart.

"You expect payment on top of the handsome amount of engeron you've already received?" Optimus questioned.

His voice sounded slightly amused but those who knew the tyrannical leader recognized that his temper was growing thin. Wildfire shuttered one of her purple optics.

"I see a prisoner over there that I would very much like to introduce myself too. I was hoping you could watch. It's been such a long time since I could entertain you."

Optimus chuckled as Wildfire gracefully removed herself from his lap.

"You drive a hard bargain bounty hunter. But I suppose we could afford your services. Right boys?"

The lieutenants howled with laughter as Wildfire blew a kiss at them.

"Come on sweet thing!" Jazz laughed. "Why don't you show us mechs how it's done."

"With the utmost pleasure." The fem smiled as she bowed again.

Wildfire turned and strolled over to the smelting pool to the not so concealed comments about her aft. The prisoner on the diving platform watched her approach and shuffled back, growling at her. He tried to break the chains binding his arms but it was no use. The fem towered over the little bot and thoughtfully put a hand to her chin.

"I know you…" she purred. "You're one of Soundwave's little toys."

"My name's Rumble!" The little Decepticon shouted. "And if I wasn't tied up you've be in a world of pain right now!"

Rumble didn't even see the blow coming. The Decepticons cheered as Rumble sputtered and coughed up energon from his new place on the floor. He was yanked up by his chains and swiftly beat down again. Wildfire kicked him in the middle and nearly sent him into the pit.

"Surely if you where any kind of REAL warrior you could defend yourself even when at a disadvantage."

Wildfire used her heel to roll him back from the edge of the platform. Lovely orange flames leapt and danced around them scorching platform's edges like a hungry beast waiting for a meal. Rumble spat on the fem's feet, splattering them with purple energon.

"That all you got?!" He asked weakly.

Wildfire grinned as she took a knee and seized the back of his head with a black, clawed hand. Rumbled screamed as the black claws started to crush his helmet.

"Oh… I have a lot more than this." She snickered.

Wildfire snatched the Dececpticon's throat with her free hand and pulled him close to her face. With her back to the Autobots Wildfire rose to her full height and poor Rumble dangled in mid air, kicking his legs at her.

"Drop him! Drooooop him!" the other bots cheered.

Wildfire let him dangle over the flames to the shouts approval. Rumbled held back a cry as the flames licked around his feet.

"Last change to beg for mercy!" Wildfire shouted gleefully. "ARGH!"

Wildfire dropped Rumble back to the platform as she took a step back holding her face.

"WHY YOU LITTLE!!"

She jumped on the little bot and pummeled the scrap out of him. Over and over her iron fists fell on the helpless bot who screamed, yelled and whimpered with each blow. More energon fell to the floor and dripped off the end of the platform into the fire.

"Impudent glitch!"

With a final scream the Decepticon was kicked into the smoldering pit. The molten metal splashed and flames exploded up towards the ceiling engulfing the black bot. When they subsided Wildfire had turned around and was walking back towards the Autobots. Energon splattered her face as she dislodged a piece of metal from just above her optic. One of her fists was leaking engeron as well.

"Rumble get the best of you in the end?" Goldbug laughed, followed quickly by the others.

Wildfire was across the room and latched onto his throat before anyone could react. She slammed him to the floor with her claws severing cables in his neck. No one moved to save him, in fact they gave the fem space with evil grins.

"That little scrap pile spat in my face…" she growled. "And I beat him within inches of death. And then, I tossed him in the smelter. Do you know what happens when molten metal gets into open energon leaks? It sets the energon on fire. You burn from the inside out, and from the outside in. It melts you fuel lines and eats your inner metal. Your neural network embedded in the thickest armor goes last and transmits every iota of pain back to your processor. He only spat in my face. You've insulted me. Imagine what I will do to you for that?"

"Enough." Optimus said broadly. "Leave him be Wildfire."

Wildfire gave one last snarl before she released Goldbug, leaving him with a swift kick in the side.

"Give my regards to Ratchet as he cuts you open." She snarled.

Optimus beckoned her before him once again and she had to comply despite wanting to toss Goldbug in the smelter after Rumble.

"You've lost your edge." The purple leader noticed. "You used to be an artist of suffering."

"Forgive me." Wildfire said irritably. "I lost my temper. I've been killing so many Decepticons on the spot I seem to have grown a bit of rust. There's something very satisfying about an instant kill to me."

"Well I suggest you work on the slow painful deaths we all love." Optimus told her.

Wildfire gave the Autobot leader a bow, ready to excuse herself.

"Well well well! Look what the smelter rejected!"

Wildfire's face stayed frozen in the simi smile, though it took all of her will power to do it. She had hoped to avoid the group of bots that had just walked in.

"Ah, Elita my love." Optimus said as he stood to welcome the fems. "You're back. You had no trouble with the Con's I'm sure."

Elita's sharp heels clicked on the metal of the floor as she made her way to Optimus. Her pack of fems stayed back and mingled with Optimus's officers. Wildfire was filled with revulsion at the sight of them.

"I never do." Elita-one purred as she wrapped herself in Optimus's arms. "I know how to get what I want."

Wildfire's wounded fist tightened and the energon dripped faster. She hated that stupid pink fem with her entire ember. But just because she was Optimus's favorite connection happy bimbo floozy she had to put up with her and her stupid gang. Elita was absolutely useless in Wildfire's opinion, unless you counted her amazing talent of making Wildfire even more violent then she already was. She could never do anything on her own so she kept her pack of fems around her all the times like prowling turbo wolfs. One cycle… Wildfire promised herself, if she ever… EVER… had an opening to be rid of them, all of them, she would be shipping them back to Optimus in a small box.

Elita threw a smug smile Wildfire's with a very clear message of: "he's mine." Wildfire smiled herself. She started to think of ways to kill Elita, each more gruesome then the last. Maybe she hadn't lost the urge to torture after all. Wildfire needed to get out before she lost control and killed everyone present.

"If that is all mighty leader, I have more Decepticons to hunt down. So if you'll excuse me..."

Wildfire started to leave when Elita draped herself over Optimus's shoulder and giggled behind her hand.

"Optimus I wish you would let me and the girls upgrade her. For Primus sake she looks like a mech."

Wildfire's frozen smile twitched as she tried not to do anything stupid. The fem pack sniggered along with their leader. Wildfire stretched her neck to both sides as she counted to ten. She looked like she did for her own reasons, and she looked nothing like a mech. Though she didn't look anything like Elita-one or her fems because she didn't feel like looking like a useless whore good for nothing but interfacing. She should just keep walking but she couldn't just let Elita get away with the insult.

"I would appreciate that Lita." Wildfire taunted her with an ugly nickname. "Regrettably, I'm too busy bringing glory to the Autobots and crushing Decepticons with my bear hands to have time to play pretend and dress up with you."

The mechs of the Autobots burst out laughing, Optimus Prime included. Elita-one on the other hand looked like she was ready to rip out black fem's optics. That was fine with Wildfire, Elita knew she was no match for her but maybe if she was angry enough she'd do something stupid. The pack of fems growled and waited for orders to attack.

"Why you insolent...! I should have you KILLED!"

"Elita…" Optimus purred as he turned the much smaller fem's face back to him. "You don't have the authority to sentence Wildfire to death. That power is for ME alone."

Wildfire brightened her optics with a smile at the enraged pink fem as she wiggled her fingers in a good bye wave.

"I'll be seeing you soon Lita." The darker fem mocked.

"Leaving already?" Optimus asked, though his tone was light Wildfire knew he was displeased, and nothing ever good came from that. "I haven't given you permission."

Wildfire wanted to snarl that she was not his to dole out orders too. She was his bounty hunter, not another of his soldiers. She wanted to put a few rounds in his face for his arrogance. She wanted her hands on his ember and crush it out of existence while she laughed as it faded into nothingness. Instead, she bowed her head submissively.

"You know that I would love to stay and amuse you my lord. But it's in my nature to hunt, and I have many to hunt for you still."

"That's one of your malfunctions Wildfire," Optimus said flippantly. "You never savor your victories."

"Every task I accomplish for you is a victory that I savor." Wildfire purred.

"Just let her go Optimus my love." Elita cooed as she trailed and long, slim finger along Optimus's broad chest plate. "You remember what happened the last time she accepted your hospitality."

"Oh yes, I remember." Optimus actually chuckled. "I rather enjoyed the spectacle."

A low growl rumbled from Wildfire's engine. The dark fem wouldn't call what had happened to her "hospitality." Optimus had locked her in one of his dungeon cells for a few cycles. He had claimed that he wanted her to be here when he got back from a raid, but in truth Wildfire knew he suspected her of spying. So she was left in the dark cell with only her optics for light and no fuel. Wildfire didn't like to be imprisoned and it had brought on one of her rages. In a rage Wildfire lost all control of herself and killed everything in sight, friend or foe. She wasn't satisfied with just killing either, she would maim and fatally wound a target and then drain them of their energon lifeblood to fuel her frenzied state for even longer. When her anger had peeked on the sixth cycle of captivity she snapped. The final body count had been fifty, ten of which were part of Optimus Prime's elite guard. When she was finally subdued by no less than ten of Optimus's most powerful inner circle the warlord himself had come down to survey the slaughter. Wildfire remembered the way his optics had danced when he witnessed what she was capable of. From that point on she had become a favorite of his and entrusted with a long leash, and was never confined against her will again.

"Fine, you are free to go, but won't you stay and participate in the gladiatorial games for me?"

Another low growl escaped the fem. She had no interest in pitting herself in death matches against prisoners and risking injury to herself so Optimus could indulge himself in watching her deadly skills.

"I've been the champion of the games for a while now, surely Ironhide or Jazz would like to take back that title. Or perhaps Elita would perform in the arena for you in my place."

If looks could kill Wildfire would be in trouble as Elita-one sent her a glare that nearly had that power. Wildfire allowed herself a fleeting smirk in return; she knew Elita wouldn't last more than two rounds before she was begging for her life. Optimus snorted and waved a hand at the dark fem.

"Very well. Leave." Optimus ordered.

Wildfire elegantly bowed with a "as you wish my lord" and turned on her heel. She walked on silent feet past the smelting pool and out of the throne room without another incident. She waited until the blastdoors where closed before the neutral look disappeared into a look of ultimate rage. Her clawed hands ranked across the glass tubes that held deactivated bodies and left deep gashes, some leaked their contents to the floor in her wake. The door to the outside opened and Wildfire stalked out, the still living guard from before shank away and kept his mouth shut as the fem past. When she was out of sight of the fortress Wildfire transformed to her fast, sleek vehicle mode and raced to her ship. She had hidden her interstellar space craft well and after making sure she wasn't being fallowed she made her way inside. All that was left to do in this pit-spawn city of Iacon was pick up her payment and get the frag out of here. The ship's powerful engines roared to life and lifted up into the thin atmosphere.

~!~!~!~

The Decepticon base was well hidden. It had to be to keep the brave few it sheltered alive. The bots within milled about their stations when there was a knock on the front blast doors. Everybot in the place stopped what they were doing to stare at the door. Only one bot knocked. Wildfire opened the heavy barrier on her own and leaned against the still closed half of the door.

"Hello boys. Miss me?" She smiled coyly.

All optics where on the fembot standing in the doorway. From the back of the room a brilliant red and white flyer model mech strode forward to meet the fem. His whole attitude and posture spoke of aggression as he advanced on Wildfire. The seeker folded his arms over his chest and turned up his nose, hostile to the fem's very presents in his base.

"You've got a lot of bolts showing yourself around here after what you've done!"

Wildfire put up her purple flamed hands in surrender as she smiled at the mech. She stepped forward and ran a finger down the seeker's canopy. It got no reaction from the stony faced flyer.

"Aw, are you not happy to see me Starsceream?"

"What are doing here Wildfire?" Starscream growled.

Wildfire put her hands on her hips seductively.

"I'm not here to fight screamer."

The second in command didn't look amused at the nic name.

"Are you just going to stare at me all day? I brought you all something."

With that she carefully took a step back and swung the other door open. The slight of a huge stack of glittering energon had the entire Decepticon base on their feet craning their neck cables to see it. Wildfire knew the Decepticons where dangerously low on fuel and in all likelihood starving themselves for their cause. Even proud Starscream was staring at the softly glowing cubes like they were the most beautiful things in the universe.

"Truce Screamer?" Wildfire asked, knowing full well that they would never be at piece.

The icy sapphire optics turned back to her amethyst ones, unconvinced of her good intentions.

"How do I know you haven't poisoned it?"

It was then Wildfire's turn to square her shoulders and stick her nose in the air.

"Have I poisoned the energon I've brought you before?"

"I wouldn't put past you. The depth of your treachery knows no bounds."

Wildfire put her hands on her black hip struts and drew herself up to her full height. She was every inch as tall as the seeker and just as intimidating.

"Starscream, if I was going to poison you and soldiers I sure as the pit wouldn't go about it like this. I'd just contaminate your regular supply right from the dispensers in the base. And if I WAS gunning to terminate your joke of an army I wouldn't use randomly striking, high probability of failure poison…"

The dark Cybertronion advanced till her dark face was mere inches from Starscream's.

"I'd just sneak up from behind and put two in the back of each head." She whispered.

Starscream didn't give any ground as the two powerful warriors stared each other down with the entire base watching.

"Prove it's not poisoned."

Wildfire's vents let out a rush of air as she shrugged and shook her head.

"Do we REALLY need to play this game every time I visit?"

"We do until I can trust you." Starscream snapped. "Which will be…"

"Two orons past never. I know handsome I know."

The flyer nodded towards the cubes as he waited for a demonstration. Wildfire looked mildly surprised.

"You can't seriously be telling me to pick my own cube. How would you know I didn't pick the only one I didn't poison."

"Because I know you." The seeker seethed. "You wouldn't take the chance of one of us getting an un-poisoned cube. You'd contaminate them all."

A small smile quirked the lips of the dark face and the purple optics darkened slightly.

"Your getting to know me so very well Screamer."

"I wish I wasn't."

"Mean." Wildfire mocked as she picked up a random cube off the top of the pile. "To your heath."

She tipped the cube in salute and then drained half the contents with a smile. A moment of silence went by with all eyes glued to the fem who was twirling the cube through her fingers waiting for Starscream to be satisfied. When she showed no tell tail signs of being poisoned, against his better judgment, the seeker called his troops over and started passing out the energy to the starving mechs. Wildfire picked up a second cube and strut passed Starscream who growled at her as she past. She nonchalantly made her way over to the second thing on her to do list. The white and blue mech was all the way across the war room floor sitting forlornly at the computer screen. The purple and black fem sauntered over and leaned against the desk next to the keyboard. Wildfire set down the cube next to the mech's hand when she got no response.

"Energon Soundwave?"

"Negative." The mech said softly. "Fuel: Not required."

Wildfire crossed her black and purple legs as a cruel smile split her lips.

"Still upset about Rumble?" She asked in a patronizing tone.

Soundwave's head lowered as his shoulder's sagged.

"A-affirmative."

Wildfire put a hand on the mech's shoulder in a farce show of sympathy.

"He didn't suffer much." Wildfire said as if she was telling him the time.

Soundwave hunched over his keyboard and buried his face in his hands. Wildfire grinned smugly to herself as she got up from the desk. She started to walk away when she paused. Thoughtfully she put a finger to her lips and cocked her head off to the side.

"I feel like I'm forgetting something…" She said slowly. "Hmmm… what was it I was supposed to give you… OH yes! I remember now."

Wildfire's front chest plate leaned forward much the same way as Soundwave's and she pulled something small out of her chest cavity. Soundwave spun around in his chair at the familiar sound of transformation.

"SOUNDWAVE!"

Soundwave was tackled by Rumble. His little creation was battered, burned, banged, bleeding and bruised… but alive. Soundwave hugged the small Cybertronion close as Rumble laughed and hugged his creator. Wildfire scoffed quietly to herself and walked away before she purged her tank. She still had one more mech to see before she could get out of this sickening den of happiness and goodwill. She strolled through the empty halls and came to a halt in front of the door she was looking for. With the back of her hand she knocked on the door.

"Come in." A powerful voice commanded.

The door slid aside reveling a large office. The holoscreen was engaged, obscuring the view of the large mech standing behind the floating globe that was Cybertron. Wildfire smiled softly as she entered and the door shut behind her.

"Still working Megatron?" Wildfire asked and she strutted slowly over to the holoscreen and map.

The black and white mech on the other side of the desk seemed to come out of a trance as his piecing blue optics settled on the fem.

"Wildfire. You've returned."

"To the same warm welcome I always receive." Wildfire snorted as she leaned up against the desk, her dark optics roaming over the map.

"I trust Starscream didn't give you too much trouble?"

"No more then usual." Wildfire smirked to herself. "Though he did seem upset about the informant disaster."

Megatron's frown of disapproval fell upon the bounty hunter.

"That "informant disaster," as you call him, was a good bot and good solider. You shouldn't have killed him."

"I warned you." Wildfire said as she trailed her fingers along the desk as she slowly started towards the rebel leader. "I told you Optimus was on to him and that he needed to cover his aft better. Your just lucky Jazz was busy elsewhere and I got the job. Had he or one of his little pit-spawn spies got their talons on your inside mech you would have a full scale assault on this base right now."

Wildfire closed the distance between them and stopped before the winged mech, leaning her hip against the desk. Megatron simply shook his head at her as he took a half step forward.

"I wish that you could have found another way…"

"If I did it would be MY ember casing in Optimus Prime's hand right now instead of his. Are you trying to get me killed? "

"Prime would never kill you. Your too valuable to him."

"Am I as valuable to you?" Wildfire asked.

One purple hand came to rest on the leader's shoulder and the other circled around his waist and pulled them together. Wildfire's dark face was only a breath away from Megatron's as the bold leader looked into her optics.

"You are irreplaceable to me."

The large mech's dark hands cupped the beautiful face and gently pressed his white lips to hers. The kiss only lasted a few seconds before it was broken when the door opened.

"Hey... uh... Megatron, man I am never going to get used to tha- WOAH!"

Wildfire felt a surge of fear run through her systems as the bot in the doorway stared wide optic at her. It a flash Wildfire was across the room and had thrown the red minibot up again the wall. A blaster was pressed to the other bot's chest plates.

"You're suppose to be dead!"

"WHOA WHOA WHOA!" The little red bot said, optics wide.

"Easy!"

Megatron said as he put a restraining hand of Wildfire's shoulder. The dark fem glared down into those Deception blue optics in and Autobot face.

"This isn't who it appears to be." Megatron said quietly. "Please, let him go."

"Are you blind?" Wildfire snarled.

"No, I'm not." Megatron said softly. "But you are. Put the gun down and I'll tell you everything."

Wildfire's optics didn't waver from the red bot at her mercy.

"You've got a click to convince me that splattering his central processor across the back wall is a bad idea."

"I don't need that long, see for yourself. Go ahead and scan him."

Wildfire took a light scan expecting to be pulling the trigger after. However she was stopped dead in her tracks. Cliffjumper was released but the gun didn't waver from it's mark on his chest.

"Fine. I'm listening Megatron."

"Wildfire, put the gun away. We're all on the same team here."

"Wildfire?!" Cliffjumper asked loudly. "You're WILDFIRE?"

"Say my name like that again and I'll tare out your Autobot glossa."

"Yep. That's Wil- ... you alright."

Wildfire cautiously turned to Megatron.

"I want some answers."

"You and me both sister." Cliffjumper added.

Wildfire shot the small red bot a glare. Megatron cleared his intakes loudly.

"Cliffjumper it would be in both of our best interests if you didn't speak to Wildfire until I've explained your situation. She is… well to put it lightly she doesn't like you very much."

"I swore that my optics would be the last image burned into every mirochip in your unworthy processor." Wildfire hissed.

"Yeah, you're Wildfire alright."

"Who else would I be Autobot?"

"As you can see this isn't the Cliffjumper we know and as your own scans showed you he is quite different even from us."

"Are you trying to tell me this bot," Cliffjumper cringed as a very large pistol was waved in his face, and he didn't see any safety lock. "is from a different universe?"

"You're as brilliant as ever Wildfire."

"Wildfire is "brilliant" in this place?" Cliffjumper asked.

"I happen to be a genius." Wildfire snarled as she glared back at the strange bot. "So I'd be quite before I devise a way to make your internal electrical system reverse polarities."

Cliffjumper's face twisted into a look of confusion. He looked to Megatron for some kind of clarification. The Dececpticon leader shook his head and seemed to shutter.

"Wildfire I don't believe we need a repeat of that… gruesomeness… ever again."

"It's effective."

"Why don't we turn your skills to helping our unexpected guest get back to wherever he calls home?"

"You don't know WHERE he came from?" Wildfire hissed.

"Starscream is working on it right now. He'll need all the help he can get."

Wildfire shook her head.

"He wouldn't let me anywhere near his research. I am a leak after all."

"Tell him we need all the brightest minds working on this. And you are one of those."

"He isn't going to like this. I'm sure you'll hear all about this in a click."

Wildfire turned away from both mechs and let herself out of the office, Megatron and Cliffjumper staring after her.

"So let me get this straight…" Cliffjumper started. "Starscream is a loyal genius… and Wildfire is a immoral double agent?"

"They are. What are they like where you come from?" Megatron asked.

"That… that's a long story."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Wildfire walked out of the base into pure blackness. Cybertron had no sun of it's own so the only light the planet got was from the stars and the artificial lights on the planet's surface. The Decepticon base had no lights whatsoever so as to not draw attention to the fact that there was a base there. Wildfire's optics darkened as she switched over to night vision and began to ever so quietly make her way back to her ship. As she guessed Starscream hadn't let her anywhere near the data he had collected. She didn't need to stick around and listen to his incessant whining about how she was untrustworthy. She had better things to do and news to relay.

The Decepticon base was built at the bottom of a ravine, with jagged metal leaping out at every angle to catch the unwary. It was ultimately a death trap for anybot without flight capabilities. Wildfire didn't need to be able to fly to make her way through here. She knew every turn; every crevice. She had been skulking around through here longer then she cared to admit. Anything that tried to navigate down here had to be crazy. Lucky for her she was crazy. Unfortunately somebody else was crazier.

Wildfire felt the cold metal digging into her face and throat before she could react. Without a word the powerful fembot disappeared without a sound into one of countless openings in the jagged metal deathtrap. She was dragged a short way into one of the innumerable caves.

"Hello beautiful. Did you miss me?"

Wildfire didn't struggle when they stopped and she found her arms pinned to her sides. She didn't struggle when her guns where out of reach. She didn't struggle when the razor sharp metal pressed to her face and drew bright energon from just below her optic.

"Duskstrike." She mumbled.

The warm living metal of another bot pressed up against her back. Long, jagged claws slowly removed themselves from the dark face and trailed their way down her neck. She didn't fight him. One twitch of any of those deathly, long claws could kill her. And one could never tell if Duskstrike was in a killing mood or not. Nothing was wired right in that twisted cranial unit of his.

"I said, didn't you miss me?"

"Don't I always?" She snapped. "Let me go."

"What have you brought me this cycle?" the dark mech asked ignoring her request for freedom.

"Oh nothing much, just a little…"

Wildfire mashed her elbow into Duskstrike's midsection without warning. Surprised, the bigger mech's grip on the fem weakened enough for her to get her arms free of her sides. Her black hands grabbed hold of her captor's wrist as her body dipped and her shoulders rolled the sudden extra weight over her back to dump it on the ground with a muffled "clang" of metal hitting metal. Like lightning the business end of a large pistol was pressed the throat of the dark bot.

"Just a little 50 caliber kiss goodbye." Wildfire sneered.

Duskstrike started laughing. The situation that would have other mechs springing leaks in terror had Duskstrke giggling loudly.

"I wouldn't want to mess up that shot if I where you…" Duskstrike purred. "You're only going to get one."

"I only need one."

Wildfire snarled as she jammed her knee into the mech's torso, just beneath where his chest plates overlapped. Duskstrike made a hissing sound like he was in pain but his smile only got wider.

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Wildfire removed her gun and knee from the other bot, casting a hateful look at the mech on the ground before she stood. Duskstrike looked disappointed.

"You're not worth the bullet." She snarled. "Besides, you'd only enjoy it."

"I'd much prefer those lovely hands of you're around my neck."

Wildfire's look hardened as Duskstrike gracefully got to his feet.

"If you make me angry you'll never see me again."

"A separation my ember could not endure." Duskstirke assured with a sly leer. "So my lovely, what news have you brought your humble servant?"

"Actually, I've brought you quiet a lot of good news my little freak of nature." Wildfire sneered. "Something you'd just… KILL… to hear."

Duskstrike's blood red optics brightened with anticipation. The shadowy fem smiled as she put her hands on his hips, dragging out the wait.

"Hmmm… what was it again. It's seemed to have slipped my memory banks… hmmm… but I know it was really good…"

"WELL?" Duskstrike roared, his short patients run out. "What is it?!"

Wildfire started to slowly circle around the deathly mech. An evil grin plastered to her face plates. Duskstrike purred as Wildfire drug her finger lightly over his shoulders as she circled around him.

"Oooooooh, I don't know," Wildfire hummed with feigned innocents.

"You know how very much I love surprises." Dusked said happily.

Wildfire stopped in her slow circle around the mech, her finger resting in the center of his chest. She shifted her weight to one leg and stood up on the balls of her feet so she could whisper right into the black mech's audio.

"The Decepticon's have discovered a parallel universe."

She didn't have to look at the mech, she could practically hear the gears turning in his processor.

"Apparently a bot came through a wormhole to our little universe and guess what? Good bots are bad, bad bots are good, everything seems to be the opposite of what perceive as reality. Just imagine…

"The delightful chaos that would ensue should the wormhole be permanently opened?"

Wildfire took a step back as Duskstrike's optics dimmed to a dark crimson. Contrary to popular belief Duskstrike wasn't just insane. He was an insane genius. When he contemplated an idea the results where nightmarish. Wheeljack and Percepter, if they didn't kill each other working together, would be hard pressed to invent anything as twisted and abhorrent as Duskstrike's processor and the thoughts that crossed it. Wildfire had witnessed first hand the lethal cruelty that ensued when Duskstrike wanted to bring his perverse ideas and plans to fruition. She didn't recharge with her optics offline for cycles after that.

"I want all the information pertaining to the wormhole." Duskstrike purred. "The sooner the better."

"Do you now? Well that sounds like your problem, not mine. I have other, more important mechs to kill then play mad scientist with you."

The sinister mech darkened his bloody eyes as his lips quirked up into a rare, sincere, smile. A long black claw slipped under the fem's chin and lifted her face so they where optic to optic.

"You are the only other true being on this despicable planet besides myself. You don't don masks of false pride or self righteous self-promotion. You do nothing for you own gain. You are simply are what you are. A feral animal."

Wildfire bristled at the comment. Duskstrike was wrong, she did do things for her own gain. Her own ultimate goal.

"Flattery will get you nowhere. I see nothing worthy of my precious time."

Duskstrike shook his head like he was disappointed with a sparkling that had given a wrong answer when the correct one was right before it's optics. He pressed closer, the rancid smell of fear and dried vital fluids mingled and assaulted Wildfire's olfactory sensors. Even acid couldn't eradicate the sickening smell from the black form.

"You'll do this, because then I can give you what you've always wanted."

"My own personal quarters in the top floor of the Towers?" Wildfire laughed. "Prime can give me that. Besides, Starscream is guarding it with his life, and dealing with that mech gives me a processor ach.""

"Something closer to your ember." Duskstrike purred in a low voice. "Something… you've longed for since you where reborn."

Wildfire's dark humor died and her optics turned to ice.

"You know nothing." She hissed.

"No… I know everything."

The mech slowly forced her backwards until her back touched the jagged wall of the deathtrap ravine that was hiding them from unworthy optics.

"I can see straight through your optics into you soul. I have seen the secret desire that you hide there. A desire that is fed with every battle waged and every ember you snuff out. One undying thought that sustains you in the darkness you've embraced for the soul purpose of fulfilling this one wish. Do this… and I'll make your dream a reality."

The light in his optics was unmistakable and Wildfire felt a surge of something that was a tainted version of hope. Duskstrike must have noticed the spark in her amethyst optics because he smiled at her.

"I'll do what I do best." Wildfire said softly.

"And you'll do it flawlessly. Jazz would surely be driving insane with jealously to know a better saboteur existed right at the very heart of his own lair."

"You and your flattery." Wildfire snorted as she shoved Duskstrike away. "If you weren't a few microchips short of a processor I'd almost think you meant that."

Duskstrike chuckled.

"The joy of insanity is that to me; I'm the sane one while the rest of the universe is insane. And the beauty of being "crazy" is that it allows me to do the impossible."

"There is no such thing as "impossible." Wildfire corrected. "Only the "improbable."

"You learn well my most brilliant pupil. All my madness and lunacy wrapped in a logical, calculating package."

"Now there…" Wildfire grinned. "Is a comment I do believe."

~!~!~!~!~!~

Someday, hopefully soon-ish, I'll write what happens when shattered Fire crosses over to the "real" universe. "Real" Wildfire is going to be PISSED. (because her evil self is a fucking slut)


	21. Stares

Just me playing around with Wildfire's sense of self.

~!~!~!~!~

Wildfire tried not to return the stares she was getting from all the bots in the Ark. There were so many mechs jam packed in the makeshift base that she had yet to meet them all, and right now they were all gawking at her. The Mustang had integrated herself a few weeks ago and so far humans where by leaps and bounds easier to understand. As the fembot strode into the Ark from her patrol shift everyone she passed did little to hide their inertest. Wildfire's first instinct was to run and hide. Oh how she longed to lock herself away in her little makeshift room away from all those optics. She had never in her life been around so many of her own kind. It was unnerving. She craved solitude, but that was not to be as she was already under an intense amount of scrutiny. Right now the best thing for her to do was blend in and not draw suspicion onto herself.

"Are they all looking at you? Or me?"

Wildfire slightly turned her head to look at the human standing on her shoulder with a hand holding onto the red helm. Jess quickly snatched the red helmet with her other hand to balance herself. Apparently she was unused riding on someone else's shoulder.

"I have absolutely no idea what they are looking at." Wildfire said to her considerably smaller friend.

"Am I not allowed to be here or something then?" The human said as another passing transformer eyed the pair. "They keep looking us."

"There's no rule about human's not being welcome here." Wildfire assured. "And it's not like we're doing anything wrong."

The Mustang couldn't help but feel that it was her the others were staring at, even considering humans in the Ark was a rarity. No. Those blue, and sometimes gold, optics always seem to settle on her for too long. Maybe that was her overactive paranoia kicking in. He brother had told her many a time that she was overly paranoid, and maybe this was one of those times he was right. Perhaps they weren't staring her down because of some dark mistrust she created in her mind. Maybe it was the novelty of being the "new bot in town." Or maybe it really was the fact that she had a human riding around on her shoulder. In the short amount of time she had spent on Earth she had found that the Autobots had very few physical interactions with humans. They might pick a human up from time to time and then quickly set them down but that was about the extent of it. It was like they'd never interacted with organic life forms before. Wildfire felt that was the most logical explanation.

"Well if their looking at you let's really give them something to look at."

The large transformer held her hand up to the human who carefully stepped into her palm. Gently Wildfire deposited her friend on top of her head to the bewilderment of all the mechs present. Jess quickly, and happily, squeezed her way in-between Wildfire's helmet adornments and giggled at the mouths that where now hanging open.

"Looks like it WAS you after all." Wildfire teased.

The human and Cybertronion shared a privet laugh. The thought that she was and not a mech never even crossed Wildfire's mind.


	22. A Work in Progress

Wildfire hated her reflection in the mirror. It reminded her that she wasn't who she claimed to be. Wildfire stared at her own optics, loathing what she saw staring back.

A freak.

A monster.

A killer.

And what was worse? It was an unrepentant killer. She held no sympathy in her spark for those she had deactivated. Autobot or Decepticon. She looked into her face and saw a stranger. When she was born she looked like her father. With a dark face, flaring, crown-like helm and soft blue optics. But now she had altered herself so much that if she now stood beside her creator no one would know they where related.

It hurt.

She hadn't changed her looks out of spite towards her father, but rather out of spite for herself.

Cam had been noble and fair. Never hot-headed or short tempered like she was. He had fought for justice and sought fairness. He preached of tolerance and forgiveness, even towards enemies. One of his favorite sayings was; "Everyone was in in universe together. We are all one family."

Wildfire was a disgrace to his memory. She had let him down the very second she swore revenge for his death. The first time she killed she felt she had tarnished his memory, and all he had stood for. Freedom, honesty, equality. Kindness. She could never bring herself to change back to her real form. She refused to mock him like that. Her own image mocked her. Wildfire's optics darkened with a fresh wave of self loathing.

CRASH!

With a powerful punch the mirror shattered; braking into little pieces and tinkled to the floor. The strong burst of emotion subsided and Wildfire fell to her knees, her proud head bowed low. Wildfire stared at the pieces and then began to pick them up. There where shards big and small. Some where jagged, some smooth. The Mustang picked them up and looked at each in turn. The splinters reflected pieces of her as she turned them over in her hands. Wildfire marveled at how very much like these pieces she was.

Broken.

Dangerous.

Incomplete.

She was razor sharp, cutting and stabbing at those who where foolish enough to try and get close. Her life shattered and heaped up in a pile, words and action harsh and cutting. Her smaller, more delicate pieces, lost among the countless biting edges.

She looked closer, the mirror reflecting her optics hundreds of times over. Each piece glittering a brilliant dark blue. The fem stared a long time into the deep color, and saw her spark carrier's optics staring back. She could feel his arms wrapping around her, holding her, easing her hurt. _Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back up._ He would tell her. Wildfire sat down next to the mound that was formerly a mirror and looked up. The frame of the mirror was still intact and laying slumped on the floor where it had fallen. Wildfire picked it up, looked it over and set it down beside her. Gingerly, she picked up one piece of the mirror, studied it, and set it where it belonged. Another piece was picked up and was laid down in the puzzle.

Hours upon hours past with only the sound of softly tinkling glass being put into place to break the silence. Wildfire retrieved a bottle of adhesive and glued the pieces she had in place. It was deep into the night when the puzzle was completed.

Wildfire hung her work back where it was when it had been a mirror. She stepped back to admire her handy work. Where she had smashed the mirror with her fist there was still a hole missing. Those pieces seemed to have either disappeared or turned to dust. The hole in the mirror matched up perfectly where her spark should be in the reflection. Wildfire actually smiled. This new version of herself suited her better.

Cracks and lines zigged and zagged across her features. Braking her image up into countless pieces. And where her spark should be… nothing. Just an empty hole.

Wildfire tenderly adjusted her work of art so in hung perfectly.

"A work in progress."


	23. Too easy

Set in moive-verce. Wildfire imitates Optimus in a far less stressful game of hide-n-seek.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"98… 99… 100. Ready or not here I come… for the thousandth time."

Jess turned around with one hand on her hip and the other shading her eyes against the hash glow of the afternoon sun. She mock whistled like she was calling a dog and then began a leisurely stroll towards the only substantial cover in this mostly flat area. Like she had the last god awful amount of times she had played this stupid game. The ex-secret agent took her sweet time walking over to the waterway and the bridge arcing over it. Though "waterway" was a lose interpretation. It was more like "concrete-way." Jess carefully slid down the steep embankment and wandered over to the bridge, scuffing her boots along the way in an effort to slow herself down. When she arrived at the bridge she didn't look up right away. Instead she swung her head left and right.

"Where oh where could you be? I am ever so stumped."

Then she looked up, straight into a pair of glowing blue eyes.

"Land sakes!" Jess mocked as she put a hand over her heat. "I do believe I've stumbled upon an alien life form here in the outskirts of Los Angeles!"

"This game is rigged!"

Wildfire dropped from her hiding place in the spaces of the support columns and landed on her feet with only minimal damage and only a tiny tremor. The giant robot swiveled it's red and black head before folding it's arms over its chest and almost seemed to snort.

"This whole planet is geared toward life forms YOU'RE size. Not MY size."

"Quit your bitchin'." Jess sighed. "You could win this game if you just transformed into a car. It's not like I pick you out of thirty other mustangs."

"That's too easy. It'd be no fun."

"Wildfire." Jess sighed. "You're the only person… er… robot… in the universe that wouldn't be happy winning a game because you're too good at it."


	24. Nightmares

Zack was standing before an enormous battle. He was confused about why. He should be on Earth, far away from the killing fields of Cybertron. Seekers streaked over head and explosions rocked the ground.

"Duskstrike!" Someone snapped behind him.

Zack turned around to find Starscream and the Decepticon army behind him. The air commander wore a smirk as he advanced on the truck. The black pick up wanted to bolt. Starscream wanted him dead almost as much as Megatron did.

"Admiring your handy work?"

"Handy work?" The ranger repeated, frozen to the spot

"Of course." The seeker smirked. "Far be it for me to take credit away from myself, but without you, this victory wouldn't have been possible."

"Well done." Came a velvety new voice that made Zack's systems run cold.

The Decepticons parted and Megatron walked through his troops towards the fearful Zack.

"I have to commend you," the silver tyrant said with a rare smile. "Your work is as magnificent as ever."

"M-my work?"

Megatron put his arm around Zack's shoulders and turned his former spy around to look at the battle rageing below them.

"I admit I had my doubts, but you've proved that even after all these stellar cycles you're still a loyal Decepticon."

"I-I'm… What?"

"Don't be so modest, without you I would have never conquered this pathetic planet. There's just a few pockets of the ridiculous human population left to take care of."

"Humans?!"

Zack took another, closer look at the battle. Decepticons where rolling through the streets of a major Earth city bringing down buildings and running down humans. The pick up didn't know what city it was. It didn't really matter. All that mattered was that every bomb that fell, every shot that was fired, every human that died. It was his fault.

"No! No no no no no no!!"

Seekers streaked over head towards the city letting a barrage of bombs destroy everything in their wake. Zack broke into a run as the army behind him laughed.

"Look at him!" Megatron taunted. "He still wants to join the battle! Killing runs through his fuel lines as strong as energon."

Zack weaved in and out of the carnage as he avoided other Decepticons and rubble. He had to find the Autobots and the humans! Why weren't they here protecting this city?! What the hell was going on?! With horrifying realization Zack realized he was in Texas, his human's home state. What made his engon run cold, was that this was AJ's hometown. Soldering and in ruins.

He ran. The Autobots had established an outpost here at AJ's request. They had to be there. They just had to be. He made it to headquarters only to find it on the brink of oblivion. It was all but destroyed.

"Optimus?! Prowl?! Anyone?!" Zack cried as he made his way inside.

Even Zack would admit this base that had been a quaint home away from home. But now it was little more than a pile of rubble. Zack desperately looked for any signs of life from his friends but only found smears of old energon on the floors and walls.

"Bumblebee?! Wheeljack?!"

The floor was slick with spilt energon. It looked like a Primus damn slaughter house. A cold creeping chill ran through his circuitry again, what about the humans?!

"AJ?! JESS?!"

He stumbled through the halls in his hast to find anyone. AJ spent most of her off duty time here with him. What if she had been here when the attack happened? His audios picked up a faint whimpering coming from under a pile of rubble. He reached for the rubble and flung it away easily. His vents failed him. Jess was under the pile, half of her face completely missing. Her body was riddled with shrapnel holes the size of her own hand. And behind the corps another human was pinned. AJ put her hands above her head to protect herself.

"NO! Leave me alone!" She shrieked.

"AJ!"

Zack knelt in front of his poor little human. She looked so roughed up. She was bleeding everywhere.

"AJ, AJ it's alright! I'm here, I got you."

"No no no! Stay away from me! Get away!"

AJ tired to scramble away from the truck who still tried to calm her down.

"It's me! It's me Zack! You know, stupid human name? Remember?"

Her brown eyes flashed with hatred as she looked up at him.

"YOU! You did this! You brought the wolves to our door!"

"No! No! There's been a mistake! I would never…"

"You killed us all! THIS IS ALL YOUR FALUT!"

"No. NO! AJ please I didn't… I could never…"

Zack reached for the human to pick her up to get her somewhere safe. But when he brought his hand back it was covered in red blood.

"!!"

Zack sat bolt upright on his berth, vents working hard to expel the heat in his frame. But he only felt the chill that was coursing through his circuitry like a virus. His head swung left and right. He was still in his room on Earth in the Autobot's main base. Everything looked like it was intact. Zack gulped, a habit he'd picked up from the humans, and got to his feet. A check of his chronometer showed him that he'd only been in recharge for twenty minutes. Zack paced his room, jumping at every noise.

"I-it wasn't real," Zack stammered himself, though it didn't make him feel better.

He stood for a few minutes and then deiced to leave. He thought that his nightmares might lessen since becoming an Autobot. That somehow wearing their insignia would pacify the demons of his past. He silently slipped past the other's rooms. The long halls of quarters was serene. Everyone was peacefully sleeping. Everything was completely safe it would seem. Zack crept out to the rec room to at least watch some TV and forget if he couldn't sleep. However when he got there the TV was already on and someone was flipping through channels. Curious to see who was up this late while everyone else recharged Zack made his way over. Wildfire was sitting smack in the middle of the couch, staring at the tv without really seeing it.

"What are you doing up so late?" Wildfire asked flatly.

"I could ask the same." Zack shot right back tiredly.

The red and black mustang made room for the truck on the couch and they sat in silence for a long time. The TV flipped channels until Wildfire settled on the History channel she loved so much. Zack noted that she didn't have her usual snappy comments. It fact she was unnaturally quiet. On closer inspection, Zack found on her face the same look of poorly disguised horror that he was trying to hide himself.

"Nightmares?" He decided to ask the reclusive fem.

Wildfire gave a little nod.

"They ever stop?" Zack wondered aloud.

"No. They just…" Wildfire shook her head. "Never mind."

"No judgments."

Zack decided that right now, they could be at peace. Just a couple of war weary soldiers trying to cope. Wildfire considered continuing for a moment before she went on.

"Some fade, and some… some get more potent with time." She said, her optics dimming and glazing over.


	25. Grand Theft: IRONMAN

The two expensive sports cars rolled up, one behind the other, to the multimillion dollar mansion perched precariously close the sheer cliff side. The breeze from the California coast whistled gently over the terrain and into the sides of the new cars. One was a blazing blood red Mustang, covered in black flames, the other an icy navy blue Corvette with thin black racing stripes. The cars idled for a moment before their engines fell silent. The heavily tinted windows on the bloody Mustang rolled down and the passenger leaned out to look at the mansion.

"What exactly are we doing here Jess?"

The driver looked over the rim of her sunglasses at her Air Force counterpart.

"Some sightseeing, don't spaz AJ."

"Sightseeing? Sightseeing is buying a fake map to the stars houses on Hollywood boulevard and getting lost. Sightseeing is going to Disneyland or Sea World. Sightseeing is NOT hacking your way into the most exclusive multi-trillion dollar housing community on the west coast!"

"Don't forget breaking and entering." Jess smiled.

"Breaking and entering?!"

It was too late. Jess had already slipped out of the car before she could be stopped. The woman bounded around the front end of the car and gave it a playful smack on the hood.

"Flawless victory as always Fire."

"Get back in the car!" AJ hissed as Jess leaned over her window.

"Wildfire's tired and she needs to rest for a awhile." Jess smiled. "Let's go knock on the door and see if we could barrow a cup of sugar."

"Tired my ass! Plug her into a wall and let's get out of here!"

The car's engine growled to life and gave an indigent sounding rev before quieting down again.

"See?" Jess smiled taking a step towards the house. "She wants you out so come on!"

The red and black door swung open at the same time the seatbelt unlatched itself. The stalwart pilot folded her arms and stubbornly refused to budge.

"No. I will NOT be dragged into your shenanigans yet again! I'm waiting right here. Out of harm's way and out of trouble."

"Jesus H. Christ you sound more and more like Zack every day. Wildfire, persuade her to loosen up."

The passenger seat shook violently of its own accord shaking it's occupant like an Earthquake. AJ was unimpressed.

"I do barrel rolls at 10,000 ft, earned my Ace twice over and test hyper advance fighter jets for a living. You're going to have to do better than…"

The seat inexplicably tipped sideways, dumping the aviator out. The only thing that saved the brunette was her lighting reflexes grabbing hold of the open door before she ended up in the gutter. Jess covered a chuckle with a rather violent coughing fit as AJ righted herself. The Mustang's door closed with a snap and the dark windows rolled themselves back up.

"Shouldn't have challenged her." The pale woman giggled.

"And you wonder why I'd rather ride with Zack!" The captain snarled back at the car.

The black windows rolled down once more as the car made a very clear display of the locks clicking down into place and then the windows where rolled up again.

"Cybertionions!" AJ huffed throwing up her hands.

"Come on you pair of pissy bitches. Play nice." Jess smiled, all but skipping her way towards the house they were parked in front of.

"Ok seriously!" AJ trotted to catch up to the other woman. "We've seen the house. We got way closer then the law even allows, can we please just go before he shows up?"

"Aw AJ," Jess smiled as they reached the front door. "Are you afraid of little old Tony Stark?"

AJ dropped her head in her hands as Jess boldly knocked on the door.

"I know you don't have a boss, but I do ok! And he just so happens to be James Rhodes, Tony Starks best freakin' friend! So if Mr. Stark says one negative comment about me, or so much as looks at me funny I'm done. My head is on the chopping block. So yes. Yes I am afraid of Tony Stark and what he will do to me if he finds out I broke into his god damn house! I'll get fired and end up in a secret CIA prison death camp where I'll be tortured for Autobot secrets! So please can we just LEAVE!"

Jess stared at her friend for a moment, regarding the look on her face.

"You call him "Mr. Stark?"

"Really?! That's what you took from that rant?"

"Secret CIA prisons aren't so bad. Plus it's not like Wildfire and I wouldn't rescue you."

"That is oh so very reassuring Jess. I definitely want some renegade human and her pet Autobot to cause an inter-GALACTIC incident on my behalf so that way I'll be triple dead when the entire US and WORLD governments comes down on my head!"

"Eh," Jess shrugged nonchalantly. "We'll save you from that too."

Jess brushed the short black hair away from her face as she tried opening the door. It was locked tight.

"Oh look, Mr. Stark locks his doors who'd guess? Ok we're done here lets go."

Jess grabbed AJ's sleeve and dragged her back as a not as hidden as it should have been camera zeroed in on them.

"May I be of assistance ladies?" Came a British voice.

Jess exchanged a glance with AJ and then looked at the door.

"You must be Jarvis." Jess smiled up at the camera.

"I am indeed miss. May I inquire as to what you are doing here?"

"Well Jarvis, I'd like you to met a friend of mine. Tek? Would you like to introduce yourself?"

"Who may I…"

The voice trailed off into salience mid sentence. Both women looked over their shoulders at the cars still parked harmlessly on the street.

"Tek are you done?" Jess asked the door.

A new, clearly not British voice answered. It sounded like a young male, but it had a computerized ring to it.

"Yes Miss Penderson. I have full control of the JARVIS system."

"It's just Jess Tek."

"You didn't hurt it or anything right?" AJ asked quickly.

"No Miss Johnson. The system is in an altered form of suspended animation. It still functions normally but I control what it does."

"Awesome let's get to it!" Jess smiled.

The door still did not open as Jess tired the handle once again.

"Miss Jess I do not find this course of action proper for…"

Jess looked up at the camera as she put one hand on her hip and yanked her sunglasses off her eyes with the other.

"Wildfire, tell your brother that I'm not going to do anything illegal." She said over the voice.

"I'm sorry what about this isn't illegal?" AJ hissed.

"It's only illegal if you get caught and we clearly aren't going to get caught."

Jess tried the door again but it was still locked. The former black ops agent tapped her foot impatiently and made a face at the camera watching them. Then, like magic the computerized lock on the front door clicked open. Jess pushed aside the defense and let herself into the house. AJ hesitated at the doorway wondering if she should just book it back to the waiting transformers.

"See, you standing in the doorway being sketchy is how we're going to get caught."

AJ quickly stepped inside and closed the door. Everything was dark save for the soft lights coming from various computer panels around the house. Jess clapped twice.

"Tek, lights please."

The house was gradually flooded with light and both women gasped. The Malibu mansion was absolutely stunning. It was large with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the ocean everywhere. The cool marble floors kept it at a perfect temperature and the crème colored walls gave the whole place a feeling of vastness. Jess let out a low whistle as she sauntered over to the windows.

"Nice digs…" She said looking out over the waves.

"It is amazing." AJ agreed. "Now can we go before Mr. Stark comes home?"

Jess tore herself away from the windows and sat down on the too comfortable to be legal couch. Her attention was caught by the expensive coffee table.

"AJ look at this!" She smiled. "Stark's freaking coffee table is the trunk of a California redwood! These things are super expensive and look how many rings it's got. This thing must have been over a thousand years old!"

"Yeah that's a great table now please can we go?"

"Come on AJ we just got here! When do you think we'll get a chance to come back?"

"You could get Mr. Stark himself to invite you over."

On the giant ocean view windows Tek's face appeared. AJ and Jess looked up at the disembodied Cybertronian face that was looking back at them. The blue eyes glowed and "blinked" as he stared at them. Jess waved the robot face off as she stood to explore more of the house.

"They only way either of us are getting back here is if we're drunk and wearing something sluty."

"What?"

The computerized face stayed blank but somehow still managed to look confused. Jess grinned at the innocence, or perhaps naivety, behind those alien eyes.

"What I'm saying is "Mr." Stark won't be inviting us back here unless we're planning on a one night stand and a long walk of shame in the morning."

"I don't understand." Tek said. "What is the meaning of… "one night stand?" Do humans stand most of the night? I was under the impression you laid horizontal while in stasis. And what's a "walk of shame?"

Jess searched herself for an explanation that Tek would understand. He wasn't nearly as up to date on humans and their customs as his sister was. Jess then found that she just couldn't bring herself to tell those big, innocent looking optics what either of those things where.

"You know what… let's just let that line of thought drop right there ok?"

"You, Miss Jess, are the most illogical human I have ever met. And humans as a whole are a very illogical species."

"Is that a complement or an insult?"

"It was a statement."

"Yeah, but did you mean it in a good way or a bad way?"

"I fail to see how the connotation, if any, which there was none, could be classified in a negative or positive way. It was mealy a statement of a fact. One of which you seem to have taken offence too and I find myself perplexed as to how you arrived that the conclusion that I was insulting you or paying you a complement. Please explain your reasoning so I will not make this mistake again in the future."

Jess squinted her eyes as she scrutinized Tek's face. A long moment dragged on as she tried to read into the mech's intentions but she found nothing but a curious and confused stone wall.

"I'm just going to call that a burn and move on."

"A "burn?" I am not capable of harming you in any capacity Miss Jess."

"That's not what I… Tek how many times must I explain what a figure of speech is?"

"I believe you will have to explain every time you use one. Your human figures of speech are most perplexing because they make no logical sense."

"Jess stop," AJ sighed, taking a seat on the couch. "You're going to make him hurt himself."

"Now that your goal has been accomplished, I would suggest that we take our leave." Tek's window face said. "Prowl is expecting us to check in soon."

"So check in with him."

"That's impossible. I must be on my assigned patrol route in order to…"

"Tek… it's called lying."

The face on the window looked absolutely aghast at the thought. The mech's helm transmitters folded back and the blue optics widened with shock.

"I will do nothing of the sort! Lying to a superior officer! Lying at all is dishonorable!"

"Wildfire if you can hear me lie for Tek please." Jess said looking up at the ceiling.

"Rodger that." Another, more famine sounding computerized voice said. "Lying to Prowl is one of my favorite past times."

Tek's face shook from side to side as Jess inspected then adjoining alcove. She found a bar and the remains of a piano. Ever the curious one ready to open every cabinet or drawer Jess dove into the contents of the bar.

"Hey AJ? You thirsty?"

"Well I guess I could use some water but… JESS! Get out of the freakin liquor cabinet!"

Jess stood with a bottle of brown liquid in her hand.

"Ah my old friend Jack. It's been awhile buddy."

"I was unaware you had another friend outside of Miss Johnson." Tek said lightly. "Should we be introduced?"

"JD isn't a person Tek!" AJ snapped as she rushed to the bar. "It's an alcohol call Jack Daniels!"

Jess smiled pulled the bottle out of reach when AJ grabbed for it.

"And it needs to go back where she found it this second!"

"Oh come on he's not going to miss it! The guys got so much he's a borderline alcoholic!"

"That's not the point!" AJ snarled as she reached for the bottle again. "Put it back!"

"You want it? Catch."

Jess tossed the bottle in the air to AJ's complete and utter horror. The pilot dove for the bottle as Jess slipped out of the alcove and to the towering wall of water surrounded by staircases. Down looked for more interesting and Jess was out of sight by the time AJ had carefully replaced the bottle.

"Can you stop being five years old for one second?!"

AJ looked over her shoulder found only Tek's robotic face with her in the alcove.

"Jess?"

"Miss Penderson left a moment ago."

"JESS!"

Jess jogged down the spiraled stair case that lead her down at least one story before it dead ended into a series of glass window walls. One of which had a small, knobby computer dial thing on it that expanded and asked for an entrance code.

"Tek, a bit of you magic please."

The screen flashed the Autobot emblem and the glass door unlocked. Jess pushed it open and a booted foot stepped over the threshold into a huge workshop. It looked like hybrid of an auto garage and a high tech lab at some fancy computer school. Jess picked her way through some of the more interesting pieces that where being worked on until she caught sight of the cars.

"Whoa baby!" Jess wolf whistled at the row of five very beautiful, very expensive cars.

She made her way over to a sliver Lamborghini and ran a finger along its chaises.

"Baby Sunstreaker and Sideswipe would just love to meet you."

Jess started moving on to the orange sports car beside the sliver one when her eyes strayed from the cars to a computer filled desk off in the corner. Abandoning the toys, Jess sauntered over and slipped into the comfortable chair. Everything about Tony Stark's house seemed to be comfortable, Jess could get used to it. Interested by the lack of a mouse and keyboard, Jess tapped one of the many monitors.

"Tek?" She asked the multiple computer screens surrounding her.

"Yes Miss Jess?"

Tek's handsome face appeared on each and every screen, floating above the Stark Industries logo. Jess interlaced her fingers and rested her chin on their backs. She stared eagerly at the face.

"Is it here Tek?"

"Is what here?"

"You know…" Jess whispered. "IT."

"Oh. Oh yes. It's here on this computer. Not hidden particularly well but defiantly protected well."

"Well can you crack the password or blow it up or something?"

"No explosives are necessary with computers." Tek's face sighed. "Despite what my sister says."

Jess slid the rolling chair back and forth excitedly as Tek seemed to await instructions.

"Well can I see it Tek? Bring it up on the screen!"

Tek's face vanished and some very impressive, matrix style numbers flashed across the screen before the desktop appeared. Then some files opened and the 3-D blue prints of a man enveloped the screens. But it wasn't a man made of flesh and blood.

"Ironman." Jess smiled, her eyes dark with mischief.

"That's actually and misinterpretation." Tek's voice said. "The structure of the suit is actually made of a titanium alloy that the military employs in their Seraphim Tactical Satellite program that…"

"Tek. It's another figure of speech."

"I don't understand why you would jump to the conclusion that something metallic is made of iron."

"Because iron is strong and the suit is strong."

"That is a horrible analysis. You should never jump to conclusions without the proper information. To base an investigation simply on a visual inspection…"

"Tek, can I just see it?"

"See what?"

"The suit of course!"

"But Miss Jess, you are looking at it right now."

"That's not what I meant Tek and you know it."

The blue transformer's face reappeared, blocking out most of the Ironman suit schematics.

"I don't understand why you use my designation when it's clear that I am the only one for you to speak…"

"Tek just…"

"Is this another human social interaction action that I fail to understand?"

"Tek, I know we need to work on your social skills but…"

"Prowl says my communication skills are improving, though I'm not sure I see the improvement he sees but Jazz also said I shouldn't trust Prowl's opinion because he isn't well versed in social interactions to a level that would…"

"Prowl's being nice. Now seriously Tek, I want to see…"

"JESS!"

Jess whipped around at her name being shouted from the top of the staircase. She whirled back around to the computer.

"Tek are you trying to STALL me?"

"N-no of course not Miss Jess."

"You get me that suit now or so help me god,"

Jess pointed a finger at the computerized face and it actually shyed away from the threatening gesture.

"I will make such an unholy mess of your precious computer you will cry oily robot tears do you understand me?"

Tek's face nodded quickly up and down as the thuds of AJ's boots descending the stairs grew louder.

"Now you listen up and you listen good. I've got a new plan and if you don't fallow it to a fucking "T" I will replace your computer chips with potato chips. You got that?"

"I just have one question. How do I fallow a letter of the human alphabet?"

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

AJ was absolutely lived as she tromped down the staircase to the lower level of Tony Stark's mansion. She was going to put an end to this lunacy. Jess was not four years old and she certainly was not allowed to do whatever she pleased just because she was a fast talker with a habit of not telling anyone what was really going to happen on one of her "excursions." AJ made her appearance in the workshop with the glass door announcing her entry with a cheerful sound chime. Ignoring her surroundings AJ swept the room and found Jess by the so expensive looking it was totally worth selling your soul for sliver Lamborghini, or more accurately, she was LEANING on it.

"Are you fucking crazy?!" The pilot hissed as she locked on Jess and power walked towards her renegade friend.

"When I find out that answer myself you'll be the first to know." Jess grinned evilly.

AJ froze mid stride, that smile meant something had gone according to plan and some kind of trap was about to snap closed on an unsuspecting victim.

"Jess… what did you do?"

"What I've done?" Jess smiled a little TOO innocently. "I'll face myself to cross out what I've become, erase myself and let go of what I've… Tek now!"

AJ didn't even have time to wonder what the hell was going to happen before it happened. Two robotic arms that looked like they belonged on an automobile assembly line came down out of the ceiling and grabbed her by the wrists.

"I'm truly sorry about this Miss Johnson." Tek's voice said as the black section of floor beneath her feet spilt apart.

"Tek? Tek?! What's happening?!"

"I do apologize Miss Johnson but this will be much easier if you didn't struggle so much."

The Air Force pilot swore and squirmed as pieces of sliver armor where fitted to her body by dozens of robotic arms. It was like she was a medieval knight getting suited up for war.

"TEK! Stop this right now!" Another piece was screwed into place and her whole body was covered. "Jess! JESS make him stop!"

Her sentence was cut off by a mask being fit over her face and screwed in place. Then everything was dark. After a moment of darkness a red light illuminated the inside of the helmet. Suddenly AJ could see like someone had attached a computer screen to her face. Or like she was playing some kind of first person video game. Her vision was just like normal but around her peripheral vision there where little maps and gauges telling her power levels, amo supplies and basically every instrument you'd need in a fighter jet.

"Tek?" AJ said unsteadily, afraid to move. "What the hell just happened to me?"

"I'm afraid you've been, as my kind would say, upgraded."

"Upgraded?! What do you mean upgraded?!"

"Holy shit! That not Ironman!"

Jess sprang into view, a mixture of shock, surprise and Christmas morning wonder on her face as she looked up at AJ. Wait, they were the same height so why…

"Jess…" AJ said holding her breath and closing her eyes. "Please tell me you didn't do what I think you just did. If there is a god out there, please tell me this isn't my worst nightmare come true but that I'll wake up at any second!"

"Nightmare?! This is a fucking dream come true! Do you have ANY idea how badass you look in that armor?"

"TEK GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!"

"No leave it on! AJ you have to try this thing out!"

"Tek?" AJ snarled.

"Yes Miss Johnson?"

"Can I move in this thing?"

"Yes Miss Johnson. While the technology is rather primitive, it should allow you full range of movement with only limited hindrances, though I wouldn't suggest bringing to bear the suits full power while in such confined…"

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Jess ducked as AJ reached for her throat. The suit moved beautifully, like it weighed nothing at all. Jess popped back up behind the pilot which AJ was able to see thanks to a rear view camera in the upper right corner of her heads up display. She swept her hand back intent on catching Jess in the head only to have her duck under the arm and roll away. The short black hair cut bobbed and danced as Jess ducked and dodged as AJ tossed punches her way.

"SIRIOUSLY!" Jess smiled as she avoided a bone shattering punch. "You can't tell me this is THE coolest moment of your life!"

"I'm going to be crucified! Not only is this Tony Stark's privet property it's his god damn secret weapon! The whole government is trying to get their hands on this technology!"

"Crucify you? AJ you have a Gatling gun on your shoulder!"

"I have a what?!"

AJ paused in her attack long enough for Tek to bring up high resolution, full color picture of just what the armor looked like. It was Ironman on steroids. A fuck ton of steroids, and a jet caliber Gatling gun mounted menacingly on right shoulder.

"I know its awesome right?" Jess blurted.

"No it's not! I don't want to be Ironman!"

"This is actually the newest, top secret proto-type mach-6 suit codenamed: WAR MASHINE." Tek filled in for the both of them. "While it is neither faster nor more maneuverable then the mach-2 through 5 "Ironman" variants, it sports thicker, heavier armor, increased amo loading and reloading capacities, accelerated firing rate and a longer firing range along with other minor adjustments."

"Minor adjustments?" AJ growled. "You call the love child of a tank and a fighter jet a "minor adjustment?!"

"Well we call him "Blitzwing," though I feel that may have been another human "figure of speech" or perhaps some kind of illogical human metaphor."

"Really?! How did you ever guess that?"

"Human sarcasm?" Tek asked politely.

"Thinly veiled contempt." AJ shot back.

"Was that sarcasm?"

"Still contempt."

"Oh."

"AJ seriously you are wearing the most advanced weapon system ever conceived by the mind of man that can fly better and faster then a F-22 and has more power than a battle tank! Why the HELL would you ever want to take it off?"

"I'm a simple girl ok Jess, I love my plane! I don't need the most advanced weapons system ever conceived by the mind of man to make me happy."

"Geeze I'm not asking you to leave your precious plane… just cheat on it a little."

"Oh god my plane! If anyone finds out about this they'll take him away from me! They'll strip me of my wings! Get this thing off me!"

"Ok ok! Tell you what, you give me ten minutes and I'll have Tek take it off."

"What have you got planned Jess?"

"Rock-em-sock-em robots."

"You haven't learned your lesson from last time? Tracks STILL hasn't fully forgiven you, you know."

"That wasn't even... never mind. This time I've got everything under control. Tek, suit me up!"

AJ could have sworn she heard an exasperated sigh, but it must have been one of the various robotic arms because Tek simply did not sigh. AJ watched as the ground before Jess's feet broke apart and produced a pair of boots which she stepped into. Then just like before, arms descended bearing hundreds of red and gold pieces. Jess placed her hand in a pair of gauntlets and then she was covered in piece after pieces of armor. The whole process took only seconds and then AJ was looking at Ironman.

"Oh this is SO badass!"

"Shit Jess your voice is all computerized. You sound like a transformer!"

"So does yours! Only you sound like you're about to kill everything! Dude my suit is really tight around the chest, is yours like that?"

"Not really why?"

"That would be because you have breasts Miss Jess."

Both suits of armor nearly doubled over laughing.

"W-what did you just say?" One of them managed to sputter out loud before laughter over took them.

"I said because you are a female and have breasts. The Ironman suit is custom designed to fit a male figure with a flat chest and a penis which is why it doesn't fit you like it should."

Jess was bent over double with her hands on her knees trying hard to remain standing. She had never laughed so hard.

"My life had been worth every moment to hear Tek say the words "breasts" and "penis" in the same breath."

"Is there something humorous about human genitals?" Tek said flatly, but the women could since the twinge of ruffled feathers in the blue transformer's voice.

"Tek… just… just don't…" AJ gasped. "Don't say stuff like that if you don't know what it means."

"I know exactly what those words mean."

It took a few moments for the girls to even their heart rates out again and their lungs to take in more than just short gasps of air.

"Ok… ok, we've had fun Jess, but now we need to do the reasonable thing and high tail it out of here."

"I've still got like seven minutes. Come on," Jess said dropping into a fighting stance. "These things can rip through planes, trains and automobiles. Don't you want to test them out a little before we go?"

"Ah that would be a giant resounding NO."

"Come on don't make me trash talk you."

"Enough! Seven minutes…"

"Six minutes now." Tek reminded.

"Whatever. I'm getting out of this thing and…"

"Chicken!" Jess taunted. "You're wearing a jet-tank and you're scared of little old black ops super spy."

"I'm not listening to you."

"Aw Prowl's pet human has to get back to him to sit on his lap."

"That's really the best you can do?"

"Oh bitch I'm just getting started."

"Name calling really? What are you seven?"

"Aim High? More like aim low."

AJ whirled around and pointed a dangerous finger at Jess.

"Don't you DARE sully the name of the United States Air Force!"

"I don't have to, their doing it themselves. "Do something amazing?" Who the hell came up with that?"

"Don't bring that abomination up!"

"Above all? Ouch what kind of bitchs are you guys? Rangers, SEALS, Marines, they all out rank you. Hell! You're one step up from the Coast Guard."

"HEY!"

"Ok really it's a half a step up. At least Ashton Kutcher was in a cool Coast Guard movie."

"Oh now you are playing with FIRE!"

Above AJ's left shoulder a small missile platform popped up and fired. Jess barely had time to throw herself out of the way of the shirking projectile as it rocketed past her and exploded into the wall behind the sell your soul expensive cars.

It was one of those moments in life where everything came to a screeching halt and then continued ever so slowly towards inevitable doom. Like when a speeding car began to wobble or a plane seemed to be coming in for a landing too fast. The explosion itself was over quickly, but the bits of house that crumbled into the smoking new door-window-sunroof combo hole with slow, soul shattering clarity. AJ felt like each piece that fell was another rock landing on top of her tomb. Jess was standing once more, hands clasping the sides of her head, staring at the hole. When she spun back around the golden face mask had its unchanging stoic look, the complete opposite of Jess's insanely shrill voice.

"Holy Christ on a stick can you believe that just fucking happened?!"

"I didn't…! I wouldn't…! TEK what the fuck happened?"

"You said the command!" Tek's face said as it appeared on the inside of AJ's helmet, he looked and sounded stunned and frustrated as AJ herself.

"And you couldn't override it so it didn't shoot a fucking missile?!"

"I-I didn't think it was necessary! You seemed content to simply be in the suit! I had no idea you would activate its battle protocols!"

"WHAT KIND OF SUPER COMPUTER ARE YOU?! HOW COULD YOU LEAVE THE SAFTY OFF ON A LOADED GUN?!"

"I'm sorry!"

While AJ was screaming at Tek Jess was in complete awe. Like always things had not gone according to plan, but this? This was so far from the plan it exceeded all her expectations. Wildfire's face popped into being in the center of her vison.

"Did anyone else see that explosion or was it just me?"

"AJ blew up part of the house. It was awesome!"

"Ok well if that's all. Just so you know I intercepted someone calling the cops about a minute ago."

"And?"

"They said explosions are always happening at the Stark place and not to worry about it unless the house is on fire. I gotta' say I'm liking the sound of this Stark guy."

"He seems to be a human Wheeljack alright. Speeking of which do you have what we came for?"

"PISH!" Wildfire's face looked insulted. "I had it thirty five minutes ago slacker!"

"We weren't even here thirty five minutes ago Fire."

"I know. I'm just that good!"

"That's my girl! Let me wrap this up."

"What are you going to do about the house?"

"What I always do when I blow something up."

Jess turned back around to find AJ tearing the helmet off her head.

"Tek this is your fault!"

"Ok, now that the blame has been squarely, and rightfully, placed on Tek's shoulders, let's get out go."

"Let's go?" AJ snarled as he whipped around like a snake to face Jess. "We can't go anywhere now! We have to find a way to fix this hole in the wall before Mr. Star gets back!"

"AJ," Jess said setting her hands on the anxious woman's shoulders. "Stark is a multi-trillionair that bangs playboy bunnies for a living. He can have the best architect in the world fix this wall with the push of a speed dial button. We, however, are only good at destroying buildings, not building them."

"Jess," AJ said putting her hands on Jess's shoulders. "If you ever, and I mean ever…"

"Uh AJ, your uh… squeezing my shoulders a little too hard…"

The red armor groaned under the silver fingers and began to dent.

"Oh OUCH ok your doing that on purpose." Jess gulped, falling to one knee as the armor hissed and creaked. "Jesus H. Christ that thing is strong."

"If your ever drag me along on one of your damn fool idea where my social, political and literal life are jeopardized, I will kill you."

"Um, pardon me Miss Johnson, Miss Perderson…"

"OK OK OK!" Jess pleased, ignoring Tek. "I promise! No more!"

The hot rod red titanium alloy of Jess's suit bowed away from the silver fingers and actually began digging into the flesh it encased.

"Ow ow ow ow OW! Take it easy!"

"Uh… if I may intrude just a moment…"

"No more "detours" no more "surprises" no more grey area of the law line straddling. You don't ever do this to me again!"

"Excuse me ladies…"

"Ow ok ok ok OUCH fuck that's my bad shoulder! Ok alright I will never knowing endanger you in any of the aforementioned shenanigans ways! Ow now let me go!"

"EXCUSE ME LADIES!"

Both women stopped dead in their tracks as Tek raised his voice. Tek NEVER raised his voice.

"Thank you. I just needed to inform you that…"

"JARVIS?"

Jess and AJ turned to each other and then looked up at the stairs. The voice came from up the stairs and it was definitely male, no computerized tones, it was a human male's voice.

"Yes, um, Mr. Stark is home." Tek said, once again the reigning king captain obvious.

To say the girls looked like deer in the headlights was a massive understatement. They looked like a couple of deer in the headlights of entire army.

"TEK!" Both hissed as loudly as they could whisper.

"I've already begun the dismantling process. Please return to the…"

Both where already scrabbling back to the place the armor had been put on, spurred by another call for the computerized AI form above.

"Please hold still." Tek chided as the armor was taken apart. "Please stop moving, please! This will go faster if…"

"Get it off! Get it off!" AJ cursed as pieces of the suit where removed far slower then she would have liked. "Damn it I'm going to kill her for doing this to me!"

The pilot was deposited gently back on the floor like nothing at all had happened. Not a trace was left of the thing that had blown a hole the size of a car in the wall of the house.

"Good afternoon sir." Came a stuffy British accent, from the top of the stairs.

"There you are Jarvis. I was beginning to wonder if you where ignoring me."

"I wouldn't dream of it sir."

AJ froze in place as expensive Italian leather shoes appeared on the stairs beyond the glass wall. The hole in the wall still crumbling behind her like a neon sign pointing to her guilt AJ was motionless as steal grabbed her bicep and yanked her to the side. It was the only thing that kept her from meeting Tony Stark face to face. Jess jerked her behind a shelf full of mechanical parts and tool just as the shoes hit the last stair.

"What are you doing?!" AJ hissed franticly. "We're going to get fuckin' caught!"

"I'm a spy! You're a pilot! Spy…" Jess said pointing for herself. "Pilot." Jess pointed to AJ. "We're going trust the spy ok?"

Both snuck down farther down as the tall lengthy form of Tony Stark passed them by and head for the computer desk, somehow completely missing the fact that there was a gaping hole in his wall. With baited breath the women watched as the handsome man sat in his chair, made a face and adjusted the seat.

"Jarvis? Has Pepper sat in my chair?"

"No sir. She hasn't been in the workshop all day."

"Well my chair feels funny. And it smells like a woman."

AJ elbowed Jess hard in the ribs.

"Impossible sir. No one has in here but you."

"Are you feeling alright Jarvis? No virus's, blackouts, memory loss?"

"Sir your designed my systems, they are flawless."

"Yes well as much as that is true, espionage knows no bounds. Run a full systems check. I want to know every hiccup you've had in the last month."

"Of course sir. Running scan now."

"If we get out of this alive I'm going to kill you!" AJ whispered.

"Shut up I have everything under control."

"My ass!"

"Watch the master work."

Quietly Jess eye'd the mechanical parts within reach. AJ watched horrified as the pale woman selected a heavy looking ball of metal about the size of a grapefruit and in the blink of an eye she had stood and lobbed the thing of her head. Ducking back down Jess put up her hand for quiet. AJ watched the thing hurtle through the air in slow motion and then like a meteor it fell from the sky and decimated the silver Lamborghini's windshield. For a moment all AJ could think was; nice shot. Then the workshop erupted in sound.

The silver car exploded into ear shattering shrieks that sounded more like a sonic cannon then a car alarm. Like dominos the other cars wailed one after another cramming the air with so much noise AJ couldn't hear the beating of her own heart as it pounded away in her throat. Through the deafening din of the cars AJ somehow managed to heat Tony's voice yelling; "Is that a fucking HOLE?"

That's it they were all dead. Then the workshop was plunged into darkness. The heavy steel shutters on the windows high above the floor came crashing down as the florescent lights in the workshop cut out the same instant. The only light in the shop now was the sunlight streaming in thorough the massive crater in the wall and the furiously blinking headlights.

"Time to go!" AJ heard as her arm was grabbed yet again.

Jess had probably shouted the command right in her ear, but as the pilot was dragged by her elbow, half blind and nearly deaf she felt like she was moving in a fog. She vaguely heard a "stop!" from behind her somewhere but even if she wanted to obey Jess hauling on her arm and practically throwing her through the glass door and up the stairs prevented her from turning around. Jess shoved her up the winding stair case like her drill sergeant back in book camp. The Ace got more of a workout then a weeks worth of using a stair master.

"Go go go go go!" Jess prodded as both woman sprinted up the last few stairs on to the flat landing of the living room.

Jess hauled on AJ's arm and pointed her towards the front door.

"You go that way." She ordered.

"What about you?!"

"Goose chase." Jess smiled. "I'll buy you some time now GO!"

The ex-black ops solider thrust her towards the door. AJ didn't have time to argue as she sprinted to the door they had come in through. The heavy cream and brown door threw itself open as she neared and at the bottom of the walkway Wildfire screeched to a stop, door thrown open. AJ jumped in as a whistle and a "hey playboy over here!" was drowned out by the roar of the mustang's powerful engine. The pilot was thrown back in to the seats as the car floored itself.

"Buckle up." Wildfire said as her tires squealed.

AJ managed to pull herself up into the passenger seat and buckle herself in just as Wildfire slammed on the brakes to let the blue corvette screech in front of her. Then, like she hadn't lost any momentum, Wildfire's speed shot back up. Zero to one hundred in the blink of an eye it felt like. AJ was rammed back in her seat like she had just punched the throttle forward on her F-22.

"Jesus!" AJ gasped, knuckles turning white. "Do you run on jet fuel?!"

"HA!" The car laughed, steering wheel spinning freely with no one in the driver's seat. "You've been riding with Zack too long. Let me show you what driving with a REAL sports car is like."

Jess probably didn't have to be running for her life right now. She probably could have made it with AJ out the door and to Wildfire before Stark had a chance to catch up to them. But then, where was the fun in that? Jess vaulted the red wood coffee table like a gazelle and was dashing into parts unexplored of the house, Tony Stark hot on her heels.

"Next right." Tek's voice said calmly in her ear.

Jess took a hard right and burst through the door in her path and suddenly found herself racing through a kitchen. Vaguely, as she scattered pots and pans behind her, She wondered if Tony had robots to cook for him or if the kitchen was just for show. She also wondered if she could teach Wildfire and Tek how to cook just for shirts and giggles.

"Stop!" Tony boomed again.

"Fat chance." Jess snarked back, leaping over a granite island like it was nothing.

"At the back there's a door that leads outside. It should be unlocked."

"Should be Tek?" The dark brunette snarled as she tipped over something as she beelined for the door.

"Let me check. It should only take a second."

"You have half of one!" Jess snarled.

Half a second later Jess ran headlong into the door and sweet merciful god it opened for her. She was outside, sprinting across what she guessed was a tennis course, safe and…

"Of course in only a hundred feet from the door there is a…"

"CLIFF!" the human screamed.

Jess barreled off the edge of the cliff like she had meant to do it. Her arms outstretched like she was doing a swan dive, short black hair whipping wildly behind her.

"Fuck you Tek." She mumbled as the steep side of the hill approached at blinding speed.

Jess flipped her heels over her head so she landed feet first and then tumbled down the hill. Somersaulting, flipping, rolling and all the way down to the beach below. She came to a stop in the wet sand just in time to for a wave to envelop and nearly drown her. Jess head broke the surface with a gasp and she struggled to her feet, water logged clothes heavy on her back. There on the sandy beach only a few steps away from her idled Tek and Wildfire.

Jess said pointing a finger at the Corvette and the car actually backed away as she got closer.

"YOU, suck at this!"

Jess glanced up at the cliff she'd gone over and there standing at the edge was Tony Stark, looking small at this distance. Cold, wet and ruffed up Jess put two fingers to her forehead and saluted the man before she walked to her red mustang.

"Bo Duke hood slide!" She sang as she hood slid across the glittering black flames.

"You're still joking around?" AJ snarled as Jess slid into the driver's seat.

"Wildfire, warp speed us out of here please."

"Aye aye captain!"

The powerful engine reved as both cars screeched up a ridiculously ting path up to the main road. Jess flicked her sopping mane of dark hair out of her bright blue eyes and sighed.

"Playboy could run!" she said with a sigh that sounded suspiciously like a giggle.

"What the hell where you thinking?"

"Hey if he was chasing me he couldn't go all Ironman on our assess."

"I mean about the cliff! You should be fucking dead right now!"

"Yeah well being a freak has some advantages after all. Let's get off the main road fire. And lets try to be a little more inconspicuous?"

"What? A blood read mustang with flames doesn't blend in with Malibu?"

"A lambo would fit in better."

"GAH! The idiot twins wouldn't let me hear the end of it!"

"Well it's that or you take one up your tail pipe from Ironman."

"Fine fine, but YOU'RE cleaning the leather Miss salt water."

"You two are insane." AJ snapped folding her arms. "Zack's right about the both of you!"

Jess laughed aloud as she draped her arms over the wheel.

"That's probably the nicest thing ever said about us."

"Yeah," Wildfire agreed with a laugh. "I'm glad Zack finally upgraded me from raving psycho bitch to just plain insane."

"Well I hope you assholes are pleased with yourselves."

"Oh I'm very pleased." Jess smiled.

"Oh god damn it Jess that just means trouble when you say that! What have you got planned now?"

"All in good time my friend, alllllllll in good time." Jess grinned.


	26. Locked In

Safely tucked away inside the Ark, far away from Decepticon enemies, Wildfire didn't have to sneak. There were no battles to be fought or traps to look out for, just simple safety. It was that very safety that put the Mustang on edge. It was ingrained into her core programming to be hyper alert at all times; it was in her programming to be unseen and unheard. She couldn't help it. She slunk around the abandoned corner and crept quickly past the cameras. Damn RedAlert and his cameras to the pit. They made having any kind of privacy a most difficult task to accomplish. If it was one thing Wildfire valued, and would kill to keep, it was her absolute, uncompromised privacy. Before any of the cameras could catch a glimpse of her, the ruby red transformer ducked into the washracks and closed the door.

This time of night the racks where usually empty, but the nights after a battle it was completly abandoned. Wildfire left the lights off as she slipped silently to the back of the darkened wash room. She had spent weeks on recon duty out in the driest deserts, wettest rainforests around the globe and all around any and everywhere even Hound or Trailbraker wouldn't dare go. Why? Because she was the only one stupid enough to do it. It was fine with her, up till a point. That point was after weeks of recon she had been called back into a big battle and got her aft royally beat. She was tired, sore and battle weary, but still she was expected to fight. She past the showers and headed straight for the soaking pool, essentially the transformer version of a bathtub. She had never actually used one before but she was tired and sore enough to put aside her misgivings and actually try it.

The soaking pool was a tub, a shallow rectangle filled with energon, that was supposed to make one feel like they just stepped out of the Well of Allsparks again. Getting time to actually use the only one in a ship full of mechs was rare, but after a battle everyone was either in the medbay or sleeping. At least for a few hours the entire wash racks was hers. Wildfire carefully checked every dark corner before she was satisfied that she wasn't in any danger of being discovered. Cautiously, the red femme dipped the tip of her foot into the swirling energy bath. The navy blue optics darted around the room once again when the foot was withdrawn. Wildfire took a steadying breath before dropping to a knee. Gently she undid the armor on her long legs and set it beside the pool. Next she undid the guards on her forearms with some trouble. With a yank the red and black armor finally came free, reviling her arms' inner workings. The tough steal structure flexed as she moved her fingers, relaxing the swords buried in her arms. With a roll of her shoulders Wildfire set the armor down and reached up her back tugging and wiggling the back plate off and set it with the others pieces of herself. Slowly, with little hisses of pain, the doorwings on her shoulders where rolled back into their true place. The flamed wings twittered and flapped before setting down and relaxed on her back. Wildfire snorted at the wings, now her and her brother really looked like twins. Ignoring the "family resemblance," Wildfire removed the armor on her thighs and then paused at her chest plate. She squirmed nervously, almost humanly, before she shook her head and carefully pealed the blood red armor off herself with some trouble. It had been a long time since Wildfire had taken off her armor. She crossed her arms over her exposed chest and shyly slipped into the pool.

Even completely alone Wildfire modestly kept her chest covered as if she expected a crowd to come barging in at any second. Like a wild animal sensing a trap, Wildfire carefully eased herself onto the submerged inner ledge of the pool. The purple-ish liquid energy lapped at her covered chest as it worked its way quickly into all the microscopic groves and crevasses of her body. The tense femme sighed and slid a little deeper into the pool. No wonder this thing always had someone in it, it was as close to heaven as anyone could get. Energy seeped quickly to all the aching joints, every tightly wound cord in her body and rejuvenated them. Farther down into the pool she sank until only her optics and the tips of her wings where above the glowing energy. Slowly the sharp navy blue optic began to dim, the tips of the red wings gradually beginning to disappear and Wildfire's ever busy mind began to slow and wonder. She strolled past the things her mind normally churned over towards places unknown. There was barely a blue glow in her optics as she sighed, little bubbles breaking the surface of the still pool and then the only source of light in the room was the softly glowing energon.

Like a shot going off in the middle of a dream, something startled Wildfire away from the warmth of her memories and back to the coldness of reality. Her first instinct was flight and like she had been stabbed Wildfire leapt out of the pool so suddenly it was like she had been ready for it all along. As the overhead lights flickered on the startled femme ducked into a hiding place well beyond sight of the soaking pool. Optics burning brightly Wildfire pressed her back into the shallow wall and waited. Whoever had invaded her sanctuary seemed to be taking their time, their heavy feet shuffling softly through the rows of showers. She wondered who would be here at this hour. After that last battle no one should be up running around without Ratchet hunting them down to drag them back to a bed in the medbay. She could only hoped that it wasn't Sunstreaker of Tracks and whoever it was would be done and gone quickly, none the wiser to her presents.

Her audios strained to hear a quiet noise. It was a soft, tick tack, tick tack, tick tack of metal on metal. Not the heavily thuds of foot falls, but rather the gentle tinkling of thin, razor sharp fingers. Wildfire wished she was wrong about who she knew was in here with her. It was worse than Tracks and Sunstreaker put together. Even worse than if it was Prowl and Jazz humping like bunnies in front of her. The noise stopped suspiciously and suddenly the footfalls picked up again; moving closer to her hiding place. Wildfire shut her vents for complete silence to hopefully avoid detection. The steps stopped suddenly again and there was a snort that Wildfire couldn't identify wither it was of interest or disinterest. Whatever it was or wasn't the footsteps retreated away to her great relief. Then there was a new noise that rang in Wildfire's audios louder than any cannon or any lecture. It was the soft scrape of metal being lifted from the floor. Her optics blazed as her arms flew around her chest as she just then realized she had left every piece of her armor on the floor by the soaking pool.

"Wildfire?"

The fem cringed and hugged her arms tighter around her chest. One moment. One freakin' moment she had let down her guard and this happens.

"You can come out now. I know you're not far." Zack actually chuckled like a frat boy on spring break as he picked up her chest plate and turned it over in his claws. "Oh come on, it's not like you don't have anything I haven't seen already."

"Shut up Zack!" Wildfire snarled over her shoulder. "Get out of here damn it I'm naked!"

"Has your processor been completely corrupted by organics? There is no such thing as "naked" to Cybertroinions."

"I don't fucking care! Get out!"

"Look there's no reason why we can't be mature about this. Just come get your armor and finish whatever you were doing like an adult."

Wildfire hugged her crossed arms tighter to her chest and threw a nasty glare Zack's direction that sure he couldn't see, but it made the femme feel better.

"Why don't you strip down to your chassis and then we'll see who's mature."

"Oh like that wouldn't be awkward or anything."

"This is already awkward!"

Without warning all the lights went out in the wash racks, plunging the two warriors in to complete darkness. Wildfire took the split second to dash to better cover as her optics switched over to thermal imagining.

"For slags sake!" Zack cursed. "There's a fraggin blackout now?"

"There's always blackouts after battles." Wildfire snapped from her new position. "Almost all power gets diverted to the medbay and Teletraan I. You wouldn't know because you always, conveniently, end up in the medbay."

"Oh yeah it's SO convenient to be wounded."

"I get wounded all the time but I'm not a pussy that has to have Ratchet take care of me all night."

The emergency back up lights flickered on, bathing the racks in an eerie red glow. Zack snarled as he tried turning on one of the showers with no luck.

"Frag, the power on the door is going to be out too."

"Fucking hell of all the mechs to be locked in with why does it have to be YOU." Wildfire snarled.

"Oh for Primus's sake like I'm thrilled to be here!" Zack snapped back. "All I wanted was a quick spray down before I passed out and I end up locked up with queen bitch!"

"Yeah right you probably did this on purpose!"

"You know, contrary to your own dissolutions, you're not the center of the universe!"

Wildfire's wings flared indignantly before she turned up her nose.

"Just stay the fuck away from me."

"So you're just going to hide for untold hours until somebot gets around to repowering this place?"

"So what if I am?"

"Primus you are such a sparkling! Have you been so convoluted by human culture that your losing touch with your own kind? There is no "male, female" gender like humans have. There is no taboo about a mech and a femme being together in a washrack!"

"Yeah then how come you're making such a big deal about it?"

"Because YOU'RE making a big deal out of it! You know what! Frag it all! I'm getting in the bath! Frag off and do whatever you want!"

Wildfire said nothing as she listened to the sloshing of the pool and then the hiss of pain Zack uttered. It was quiet for a while as the mech soaked in the bath. Nothing was exchanged between the two for a long time.

"Wildfire?"

The femme stubbornly stayed quiet and didn't answer.

"Wildfire!"

"You told me to fuck off."

"Yeah well I need a hand."

"Sure like I'm going to jump up out of the goodness of my spark to help you out."

"I can't move my right arm ok! Get over here!"

Wildfire stood, arms still protectively crossed across her chest, and cautiously peeked over her hiding spot. Zack was sitting in the pool, brightly glowing energon up to his chest, with his back to her. Carefully the femme picked her way around the racks, making sure to always keep something between her and the mech's line of sight. When she was the last few steps away the red femme ducked into a shower stall and ran a scan Zack. Her scan was blocked and deflected expertly.

"What the frag are you doing?"

"I'm trying to find out what's wrong with you."

"I know what's wrong with me." Zack snarled. "I just need you to loosen my back plate, not diagnosis me!"

Vexed at being thwarted, Wildfire ran another, far more invasive, scan which too rolled off the mech like water.

"Cut it out Wildfire!"

"Let me see what's wrong!"

"I didn't ask you to find out what's wrong!"

Wildfire ran a flurry of scans, fluctuating between invasive and superficial in rapid succession. Zack growled as he counted each one, denying the femme any insight into his condition.

"HA!" Wildfire blurted after a sneaky one, two sucker punch. "You've dislocated your shoulder joint!"

"Primus femme what's wrong with you?"

"I can fix your arm."

"No thanks!" Zack growled darkly.

"Trust me. I can do at this in my sleep."

"Did you not hear me? I said WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?"

Wildfire had snuck up behind him and put her hip in his back and grabbed his arm.

"Hold still this gonna hurt."

What Zack would later describe as a searing white flash of the worst pain of his life, Wildfire called it jamming Zack's limb back into its joint. The ranger whipped back around out of instinct to get away from the intense pain and glimpsed a thin figure darting away as lightly as a bird. It even had wings. The truck grabbed his arm and found he could move it again, though not nearly as well as normal, but it was a start.

"How do you know how to do that?" He asked the supposedly empty room.

"If you didn't struggle I could have got it in right and you could actually use it at 100 percent." Wildfire danced around the question.

"Sorry I don't trust someone not listed as a medic to fuck around with a broken arm."

"It's not broken you cry baby. If you want I can still fix it."

"And your professional trained to do this?"

"Define "professional trained."

"Primus forgive me," Zack mumbled to himself. "You're going to do whatever you want anyway. Might as well. You couldn't possibly break it worse."

"Turn around." Wildfire demanded.

"Are you still stuck on the whole "naked" thing?"

"Do you want to use your arm or do you want to go tell Ratchet you can't move it?"

Zack snorted but turned his back to Wildfire's voice. Quick footsteps heralded Wildfire's soft approach and Zack barely resisted the urge to turn and face the other bot. Wildfire pressed her hip into the truck's back again and grabbed his arm.

"Now don't move this time."

Zack clenched his dental plates and waited. There was a sharp click and only minimal pain, and then his arm was working again, sore as hell, but working. He heard Wildfire darting away again before he could even think about turning around. He sighed. It was one thing to like or respect an alien culture; it was another thing entirely to become warped by it.

"Better?" Wildfire's voice came from somewhere.

"Yeah." Zack mumbled.

"I want my armor back."

"Take it then. I'm not keeping it from you."

"If I go over there you'll see me."

Zack was getting tired of this game. He didn't give First Aid the slip to listen to Wildfire bitch all night. He twisted around and glared into the wash racks and the eerie red glow of the emergency lights.

"Listen up brat! You're a Cybertronion. A Transformer. Your insides are exactly like mine. Exactly like every other Transformer's in the universe from Otpimus Prime to Ravage. Femme or mech. You want your Primus damn armor? Come and get it! I ain't moving!"

The truck thought he saw Wildfire ducking out of view as he turned around, intent on ignoring the femme until they could go their separate ways. The Mustang didn't seem to want that to be the end of things though.

"You know I was there first asshole."

"Yeah well you left."

"That's not fair, you just took over!"

"You like humans, why don't you have them teach you a way to cry me a river and get over it?"

"Asshole."

"Shouldn't have moved if you weren't done."

"You snuck up on me jerk!"

"You forfeit your turn when you left. Now quit you're bitchin."

"Not until you give me MY pool back!"

"It isn't yours anymore. It's MINE now."

"No it's not!"

"My aft sitting in here and your aft out there says otherwise."

"Your aft is about to get beat!"

"And how are you going to manage that if you won't get close enough to get your hands on me?"

Wildfire apparently had no answer for that and she didn't make a peep.

"Your comeback is dazzling." Zack chuckled.

"Fuck off!"

"As is your vocabulary."

"Fuck off squared."

"Wildfire you are almost as fun as Starscream to be locked in a room with."

"Yeah I'm sure him sucking your spike all night must be real difficult for you."

Zack growled and snatched up a piece of red armor laying beside the pool.

"You've got a mouth on you for somebot with no armor."

The ruby back plate was tossed into the center of the glowing pool with a decently loud splash. This time he for sure saw Wildfire's spiky head pop up from behind a shower wall.

"What the fuck was that?" She demanded.

"Vengeance." Zack said simply, tossing another piece into the pool with a satisfying splash. "That one was for fun."

Another splash.

"You had better NOT be doing what I think you doing!"

"Depends." Splash. "What do you think I'm doing?" Splash.

"I swear to Primus Zack! If you touch one more piece of my armor I'm going to spilt you open from head to toe!"

"Oh really?" Splash splash splash. "I would love to see you try that. Last chance."

The black ranger held the femme's chest plate in his hands and slowly dipped it into the pool.

"Are you going to come get it or not?"

Zack expected some kind of verbal answer, but got a physical one instead. Wildfire had snuck up on his back and lunged, one hand on Zack's shoulder, the other groping for her armor. Startled and confused he was thrown headlong into the pool by the sudden force, dragging Wildfire with him. Both crashed into each other and the walls of the tub, sending waves of energon every which way. Zack broke the tumultuous surface first with a gasp. He coughed and sputtered as his vents expelled liquid energy from his ventilation system. A moment later at the opposite end of the pool Wildfire emerged from under the ripples, chest plate squarely fastened to her body.

"You freaking lunatic are you TRYING to get us killed?" Zack raged as he shook purple from his visor and cleared his vents. "I could have...! Wait a sec, are those… doorwings?"

His ravings came to abrupt a stop as Wildfire sputtered herself. She sat in the far corner of the pool, arms crossed over herself and a pair of sensory panels flared indignantly above her shoulders.

"So what if they are!" She snapped furiously, though she made no move to get out of the pool.

Zack was quiet for a moment, silently regarding the other warrior and her new look with a gentaly tilted head. Wildfire looked like she was a proper Cybertronion now, and he must say, she was far more agreeable to look at than before. The femme squirmed under his gaze and then backhanded the energon, sending a wave of it at Zack's face.

"What the hell are you looking at!"

"You look different, it's weird. Though I see the whole twin thing now."

"You wanta take a picture or something? Stop staring at me!"

"I can't help it, it's strange seeing you like this. Where the frag did you hide those things?"

"None of your damn business! Give me back the rest of my armor!"

"They're at the bottom of the pool. Go get em."

"Asshole!"

"Yes we've already established that. Besides you're supposed to have your armor off in this thing anyway. Now we can share like adults."

Wildfire squirmed and tried to get at her armor with a leg. Zack quickly put a foot down on the pile, stopping the femmes starched foot. Wildfire growled and lashed out at him but shied away from Zack's razor sharp fingers as the black ranger brandished his claws with a smile.

"Nu-ah not so fast."

"Put those things away you Freddy Krueger wanta be!" She snarled, but kept her distance.

"You want them back you're going to have to earn em."

Venomous didn't even begin to describe the look Wildfire gave him.

"What do you want?" She snarled.

Zack smiled evilly and leaned forward.

"Wash my back."

Wildfire reeled back like she had been struck across the face.

"You'd better be kidding." The femme snarled.

"Hey, you broke my arm you have to help me get the spots I can't reach. You can start with the left shoulder joint."

"How about I just snap your neck?"

"Because you're smart enough to know that it would be one murder you couldn't talk your way out of."

"Are you trying to imply I've gotten away with murder before?" Wildfire sneered.

The femme's odd colored optics glowed their strange hue of dark blue as they glared into Zack's visor.

"It's not implied when it's a fact. Do you want your armor back or not?"

"I can wait until you get out."

"I'm sure you can, but that won't be for a while and by the time the power comes back on there's going to be a whole lota' mechs looking for a good long shower after a hard battle and a night in the med-bay."

The mech's lips quirked up into a lopsided smirk as Wildfire sank farther into the pool.

"I'm sure the boys wouldn't mind seeing a good looking femme like you stripped down to her chassis either after a night like this."

"Alright fine!" Wildfire snapped. "I'll wash your stupid back!"

"Good girl."

Zack turned around in his seat and placed his arms on the lip of the pool, resting his head on them like a pillow. Wildfire's nose plates crinkled and her doorwings flared. She didn't like this on bit. Inching closer she tried to come up with a way to get out of this embarrassing situation that didn't involve killing herself or Zack.

"I'm waiting." The mech snorted.

Wildfire carefully put a finger on the black metal and then quickly pulled it away.

"There done!"

"Not even close."

"But I…!"

"My back is not clean. That was the deal. Here, use this too."

A bright white rag was tossed over the big black shoulder and landed on Wildfire's head.

"Start scrubbing."

The red femme ripped the rag from her head and pressed it to the mech's back and scrubbed the grimy metal hard. Zack growled loudly and sat bolt upright, his sharp claws curled and bit into the metal of the floor.

"WHAT THE FRAG ARE YOU DOING?"

"What you told me to do!

"I didn't say try to kill me!"

"I don't TRY to kill I fucking DO IT!"

Zack snatched the rag out of the femme's hand snarling.

"Don't you even know how to wash someone? PRIMUS!"

"That wouldn't have hurt!"

"Yeah it fraggin did! Don't you know you have to be gentle with the seams?"

"They where dirty! You don't get clean by being gentle!"

"What kind of uncivilized ANIMAL are you?"

"The kind that's clean enough."

"Turn around and I'll show you WHY you don't press on the seems!"

Zack started to reach for her when Wildfire scrabbled back. Her mad flailing sent energy everywhere as she retreated to the far end of the pool so fast Zack was almost sure she had a propeller on her.

"Don't touch me!" She snapped loudly.

"I wasn't going to touch you. Geeze did you think rip your guts out or something?

"I don't like being touched!"

While Cybertronions as a race didn't often have physical social interaction with one another, the still touched each other once in a while. Wildfire was different, Zack couldn't recall when he had seen someone pat her on the back or put a hand on her shoulder, heck, he'd never seen anyone even bump into her. He hazily remembered asking Tek something about it after a few too many high-grade cubes once, but he was really fuzzy on the whole conversation.

"Why?" He asked. "Does it hurt or something?"

"Oh yeah, it hurts to be touched. Of course not you moron I just don't like it!"

"That's not what your brother said."

"Tek's an idiot!" Wildfire dismissed the argument.

"Well why not? Everyone likes to be touched sometimes."

"Primus H. Christ! Do you ever get tired of the sound of your own irritating voice?"

"Never. So just tell me what I want to know because it's inevitable I'm going to find out anyways. Or I'll just keep listing to my voice."

"Tek and I happen to be a little more sensitive ok? Are you happy now?"

"But why?"

"Because we can transform into anything we want so our bodies are extra malleable with more sensors alright? Are you happy yet?"

"Really? Just how extra sensitive are you?" Zack asked, interested to know. "That could come in handy in certain areas…"

"Curiosity killed the cat you know!" Wildfire snapped, glaring death at Zack.

"Then it's a good thing I'm not a cat."

Zack scooted closer and the femme shrunk back into her corner, trapped. The black mech reached out a claw to touch her when the femme all but disappeared under the liquid. Only her optics where above the glowing energy.

"Oh yeah real mature Wildfire." Zack deadpanned at the optics glaring darkly up at him. "Get up here.

When the red transformer shook her head no and didn't obey he grabbed her winged shoulders and dragged her back up. She sputtered and snarled but stayed stock still in his clawed grip.

"Was that uncomfortable?"

"Your claws are digging into my unprotected back!" The femme screeched in pain.

"Sorry," Zack mumbled releasing her. "Forgot.

"My shinny metal ass you forgot!" She snapped, wings flicking irritably. "FUCK! I think you severed something!"

"Turn around I'll check."

"Newsflash, I've had enough of you! Get lost!"

"Just turn around so I can see the damage!"

"And what are you going to do about it one arm? Poke at it?"

"You'd be surprised what I can do with one arm, like this for instance."

With far greater care this time, Zack grabbed the femme's elbow with his good arm and forced her to spin around. Wildfire bitched and moaned but remained somewhat cooperative by staying still and above the surface. Zack looked her over with a disapproving optic.

"Do you even bother to take care of yourself?" he snapped.

"Am I bleeding or not?" Wildfire seethed, ignoring the question.

"No, but your wiring is so tight it looks like you strained the main motory cable to your right… doorwing." The word still felt weird to say in regard to the femme.

"It'll take care of itself on its own." The femme snarled as Zack's optics continued down the exposed back.

"Primus have you EVER relaxed in your life? Your circuitry is so tangled and tight it's going to have to all be replaced if you're not careful!"

"I'm sorry but are you've been professionally trained to diagnose me?"

"No, but I'm an expert at taking care of myself."

"I bet you are." Wildfire cursed under her breath.

"You my friend are in need of some serious R&R and pampering."

"I'm sorry you must have me confused with Sunstreaker, because I couldn't think of another way you could possibly be more wrong."

The ranger lightly traced one of the bundled wires with a claw and the red and black sensory panels flared and trembled, one dropping a few inches below the other.

"What the fuck was that?"

"Testing a theory." Zack said off handedly. "And I was right. You've strained your right wing's main cable so much it's about ready to snap, and that's going to be really painful."

"And just how do you know so much about wings?"

"I've dated a lot of bots with doorwings," Zack unconsciously smirked. "So I've picked up a few things few the years. It's not professional training but it's just as good, and my way is a hell of a lot more fun to learn then in med school. And one of the things I've picked up is that you need to relax before your whole body goes hypertensive."

The shinning silvery claws gently tickled their way up the wing strut. The red appendage fluttered and then sagged, defeated as Wildfire squirmed uncomfortably.

"Stop it." She grumbled weakly. "You're going to cut something with those things."

"I know it doesn't look like it, but I can be quite gentle."

"I'll believe that when I see it."

"Ok then."

Zack carefully tailed his claws along the edge of the stressed wing as Wildfire stayed motionless. The wing drooped passively under his touch as one of the razor sharp tips easily glid along one of the seams. That time the femme shuddered and it wasn't because Zack had hurt anything. The black mech didn't know why he was going through so much trouble, he should have just shrugged it off and let the dumb femme lock up on herself and rush headlong into early termination. His hand lightly ghosted across the wing strut as he moved to the other, undamaged wing and repeated the same gentle care. Wildfire's engine purred along happily as she slowly began to relax. Her head sagged against her chest as the wings drooped until Zack was almost certain she was asleep. With extra care his index claw was placed at the base of the strut that attached the sensory panel to her body. Wildfire's engine stilled and Zack could literally see her circuits and cables tensing and bunching. She had gone from zero to tense in a fraction of a second.

Not that Zack could blame her. While his claws looked thin and weak they were remarkably strong. Built to rend and slice, the deadly claws could rip through the wing and most the femme's light armor with ease and without braking. And without her armor on, well, his claws could do a lot, lot worse. It would only take a few measly pounds of pressure in the right spot to sever the wing from her body. Zack's razor sharp digits light trialed down the main power cable in her back before it disappeared behind bunches of less important wires.

"Relax." Zack said as he brushed the tips of his claws across the tense wiring. "I couldn't talk my way out of murdering you either. Not with Cliffjumper around."

Wildfire's vents ever so slowly let out the air they were holding back as she relaxed again. Her wings flutter and sagged as Zack massaged away the stress for a while until he was sure Wildfire wasn't going to lock on him. The femme's wings fluttered as she sat up straight when the mech had finished. Zack was pleased to notice the one that had been sagging before was now equal with its twin. Wildfire shifted uncomfortable in her seat as she tested her wings.

"T-Thanks. I guess." She mumbled quietly.

"You're welcome." Zack said, oddly triumphant. "Now can you please help me out?"

"Yeah… sure."

Wildfire slowly turned around and averted her gaze, looking at Zack's knee rather than his face. Funny how she swung from raving lunatic to demure with just a simple gesture of kindness. Ignoring her sudden shyness Zack turned back around to try things one more time. This time Wildfire's hands where soft as she brushed the rag across his lower back.

"Haven't you ever washed anyone before?" Zack snapped at her sloppiness. "You start at the top and work your way down. Geeze your last lover must have had the patience of Primus!"

"S-Shut up." Wildfire mumbled. "I've done this… plenty of times."

Seemingly out of witty comments after that Wildfire muttered something under her breath and adjusted her style to better suit Zack's high taste in cleaning styles. With some guidance she cleared the mud and grime from the day's battle from the mech's back.

"There, your sparkleing like a vampire in the sun."

"I thought vampires burned in the sun."

"Nevermind. Can I get my armor back now?"

"Deals a deal." Zack said.

He removed his foot from the pile of parts and went back to lounging against the side of the pool. Wildfire quickly ducked under the liquid and retrieved the bright red pieces of herself. She stayed under long enough to make sure Zack wasn't watching as she snapped them quickly back into place before she surfaced. Not that her tormenter even seemed to care she was back. Zack's visor was dim as he rested against the side of the pool. The femme snorted as her flaring doorwings shifted and turned before coming to rest once again on the outside of her shoulders like a pair of shields. With some difficulty Wildfire hooked her back plate back into place.

"Why do you do that?"

Wildfire glanced up at Zack as she adjusted the latches on her torso as her armor tightened back into place.

"Why do I do what?"

"Why don't you just leave your wings where their supposed to be?"

"Because," Wildfire said as she rolled her shoulders. "Their useless there."

"So?" Zack snorted, visor still dim. "We're all got useless decoration. It makes us unique."

"Not me." Wildfire said offhandedly."Everything on me has a use whether for offence or defense. Anything that I couldn't use I got rid of."

"I didn't know you where such a minimalist."

"What's the point in having something that doesn't have a use?"

"Does that include friends?"

Wildfire's optics flashed up at the mech.

"Friends. Acquaintances. There's no use for them so I don't have any."

"I think you under estimated the value of those thing you deem useless."

"Do I?" Wildfire asked, half interested that Zack of all mechs would take an opposite stance on this subject. "How so?"

"Those are probably the most indispensable things a bot could have besides family."

"And you would know this because you have so many?" Wildfire scoffed.

Zack's visor lit up brightly as he turned to face the femme.

"First ouch, and no, it's because I have so few. That's how I know."

"Well I think you overestimate them. Their nothing more than liabilities. Weaknesses and flaws that enemies can take advantage of and use against you." Wildfire said bitterly.

Zack shook his head almost sadly as Wildfire shrugged.

"You're too young to understand."

"I'm old enough to have seen what damage a liability can do." The femme snarled with such hate Zack was stunned to silence. "We all make attachments to people and places and our own damn war is killing them all until there's nothing left. So what's the point in having anything? It's better to have nothing then lose everything."

"Coming from someone that sounds like she's lost everything." Zack said in a clam tone.

"You have no IDEA what I've lost!" Wildfire hissed angrily. "I'd rather feel nothing at all then feel anything ever again!"

"Then you're a coward." Zack snapped back.

"No more then you!"

"I'm not so afraid of having something that I won't try to have it."

Wildfire huffed and made an ugly face at him.

"At least I'm not a hypocrite." Zack shot.

"Oh I'm a hypocrite?"

"You think you're the only one good at reading other bots?" Zack asked, pointing a claw at the femme. "You're not unreadable Wildfire."

"And just what do you think you know about me?" The blood red Cybertroinian snarled.

"I know you're a lot more venerable then you'd like everyone to think. I know that you like to snap at everyone and pretend they don't matter but yet you're always seeking their attention, like with me. If you really hated me as much as you claim you'd just stay away, and yet every other day it seems you're my second shadow.

"I'm hanging with AJ! NOT you!"

"That's your excuse."

"If I had the choice not to be around you…!"

"You'd still be handing around."

"In your dreams maybe!"

"Please. You don't think I see how everytime I do something off base you invite yourself along?"

"Ok, first of all, you sneaking off into the unknown to do Primus knows what doesn't count as "doing something" in that casual sense your implying. You could be out there plotting to overthrow Prime. I'm just doing my duty and keeping an eye on you. And secondly I didn't "invite myself along," I was covertly spying on you."

"Same thing."

"No it's a big difference."

"Wildfire, you're practically begging for everyone's attention. So I don't understand how you can sit there and tell me you don't need or want anyone when everything you do is the complete opposite."

"I didn't ask you to understand! And you never will so don't give me that crap and you understand that my world doesn't revolve around you Zack."

"Funny, the rest of the world does."

"Oh ha ha. You slay me with your wit. Are you going to break out the puns next?"

"I'll save those for later."

"Primus help me."

The lights overhead quickly flickered on as the red emergency lights cut out. The wash racks where once again flooded with bright white light as the power came back on.

"Well that was fast." Zack mumbled as his optics cycled to a lower setting to accommodate the harsh light. "It's gotta be some kind of record."

"Red wasn't put in medical this time. The base is always up and running faster when he's up fritzing out in the security room and not strapped to a berth."

"Well I guess that's your que to leave." Zack said, visor shutting off.

"I won't give you the pleasure of chasing me off." The femme sneered.

"My theory gets ever stronger."

"Fuck you and fuck your theory."

"You know what I think?"

"I don't give a flying rat's ass but you're going to tell me anyways so, what in Primus's blasted name do you think now?"

"I think you've spent a lot of time alone and you don't ever want to do that again."

"Whatever. Color me surprised when you sign a contract and take over Dr. Phil's show."

On that sour note Wildfire submerged her audios under the glowing energon, ending their conversation. Zack sighed as he rested his helm on a shoulder and rested. The femme was a selfish, thickheaded brat but she eased his loneliness. And Zack had a feeling Wildfire felt the same about him. Tracks entering the racks upset his quiet thoughts and Zack found himself tensing up. Though he couldn't remember when he had even relaxed. The blue visor flickered back on to catch the blue mech looking at him funny.

"Tracks." Zack said with a plight tip of his head.

"Are you almost done?" The corvette said, though it felt more like a command.

"I guess but good luck getting her out."

Zack nodded to the other side of the pool where the crest of Wildfire's head was floating just above the surface.

"You're both in there? Together?" the handsome blue mech asked.

The black ranger knew this would get totally blown out of proportion the second Tracks had another mech to talk too but he was just too tired to care much.

"It was a compromise on both our parts or one of us would be dead right now."

The well groomed mech made a face as he tossed a brush at the femme's floating head. The shinny tool bounced off the red metal with a loud clank and the dark blue optics appeared out of the pool.

"What?" Came the dark snarl.

"Are you quite done yet?" The blue mech snapped.

"Fuck off."

"You've been shacked up in there with Zack long enough. Some of the rest of us need a turn too."

Zack watched, with great amusement as Wildfire stood and with one smooth backhand, sent the used energon splashing in a title wave all over the mech. Horrified didn't even began to describe the look on Tracks's face. He looked like a drowned turbo cat.

"I'll get out when I'm damn good and ready. Until then, I think you missed a spot."

With that, Wildfire flopped back into her seat, elbows resting on the lip of the pool as if nothing had happened. Her dim blue optics and smug looking frown just daring Tracks to do something about it. Zack watched the two warriors stare at each other for a moment that made the very air crackle with anger and resentment. Without a word (but a very scathing glare) Tracks turned smartly on his hell and left them without incident.

"Well I just witnessed a miracle." Zack snorted.

"What miracle?" Wildfire asked, not snapped, asked, like a polite Cybertronian.

"Miracle number two." Zack was unsure as to whether he was amused or impressed.

"Don't' believe in miracles." Wildfire sighed as she sank into the pool just enough to let the back of her head rest on the lip of the pool.

"You don't believe when you took part in one that Primus himself could barely pull off?"

"Don't believe in Primus either. And if I did "he" would be a femme not a mech. Now shut your mouth I'm tired of you."

"Fine. We'll save this conversation for the next time we're stranded together against our wills."

"Oh boy," Wildfire sighed deeply. "I can hardly wait."


	27. She's a hottie

Jess rolled up her pant legs, rolled up her sleeves and put her hands on her hips. She looked Wildfire over once again and sighed. Her nose scrunched. The mustang was filthy, and that coming from Jess, way saying something. A thin layer of dust didn't bother her, but Wildfire look like she had dove into a mud puddle and forgot to get out.

"You're disgusting," Jess said.

"It was this or get shot, and I'd rather be covered in mud then pick shrapnel out of my ass." The Mustang's engine growled as the side mirrors wiggled up and down.

"Yeah yeah," Jess snorted, picking up the hose at her feet. "But you didn't have to jump into the mud you know."

"Softer landing then on Prowl or Grapple."

"Roll up your windows."

"They are u-AH! Hey that's cold!" Wildfire shouted.

Jess turned the hose on full blast and sprayed the Transformer's front bumper. The dried, crusty dirt washed away in muddy streams.

"Hey easy!" Wildfire snapped as the black doors were blasted. "I feel that you know!"

"Shut up, I'll be done in a minute." The human smiled and moved around the sports car.

The powerful engine growled as the trunk and tail lights where hosed off. The other side followed and roof. The transformer was soaked, but once again red when the spray finally stopped.

"There all clean. Can I go now?" Wildfire asked.

"I don't think so." Jess smiled and tossed a few towels into a bucket full of suds. "You're getting the whole nine yards today."

"You're finally using soap?"

"Ha. Ha. You're so funny," Jess said flatly, rolling her eyes. "You're just due for a good scrubbing."

The human slung the soapy towel on the ruby hood and the side mirrors sagged.

"Is it my birthday?" Wildfire asked.

"No," Jess laughed. "But you're still going to get the royal treatment."

The Cybertronion was about to protest the frivolous care when she was caressed by the soft towels. Her engine purred happily at the attention while Jess dutifully want around her sides, making sure every inch of the paint was scrubbed and covered in bubbles. The cool water of the rinse washed them away, this time with a gentler spray then her hosing off. Wildfire sighed under the blazing California sun as the water cooled her alien metal.

"Five mo' minutes," the femme moaned when the water turned off.

"I'm not done with you yet." Jess grinned and starting drying the sports car.

Wildfire purred the entire time. Jess's small hands and soft towels got every little speck of water before it could leave a mark. After the Mustang was dried the wax was brought out. Jess fished out the softest shammy she could find and massaged the cool wax into the tried paint. The Transformer purred away as Jess took her time and made sure every fleck of paint was polished until it shone. Jess wiped her brow when she was finished and smiled as she crouched down to polished the tires.

"You've been running on these same ones for two years now and they still look brand new," the human remarked as she got the chrome hubcaps to shine.

"Cybertronian," Wildfire laughed. "They regenerate just like the metal."

"Best car ever!" Jess's eyes sparkled with delight. "I don't have to pay for gas, or tires, and Ratchet does all my secluded maintenance. What the hell am I going to do when you leave?"

"I just won't leave."

Jess could tell by all the purring the sport car thoroughly enjoyed the pampering. She deserved it too. The woman grinned. When she was done with her, Wildfire would be the best looking bot on Earth.

"If you keep this up none of us will ever leave." Wildfire groaned. "Or you could start a business, take it to Cybertron and made a fortune."

"I don't think so." Jess made sure all four tires sparkled before standing up. "I only do this much work for friends."

"Good, because I just realized Tracks and Sunstreaker would never let you go."

Jess laughed and opened both flame painted doors, dragging a vacuum over.

"I don't even want to get into those two's human slave car wash labor ring they'd have going," she chuckled. "Now sit still, this might tickle."

Wildfire did her best to sit still as Jess got to all the nook and crannies, but she still giggled from time to time. The dash was cleaned, all the dials, all the leather, even the inside of the windshield. Jess had to pop the hood manually to clean her engine when the Mustang didn't budge to do it herself.

"Relaxed are you?" the human asked.

"Best friend ever," Wildfire said, her voice soft as she hovered between awake and a light recharge.

"Don't you fall asleep on me," Jess ordered with a smile. She leaned her hip against the sparkling hood. "I gotta get you back before Red Alert blows a piston or something."

"Slag Red," Wildfire mumbled, diffing off.

Jess shook her head and tossed the towel over her shoulder. There might be hell to pay when they got back, but Wildfire didn't get a lot of sleep.

A loud knock a the door disturbed Zack from his reading. He sat up on his berth as the knock pounded again. The blue visor dimmed as he pulled himself up. He grimaced as his back creaked. He was much too young to feel so damn old. This fraggin war was talking a toll on his chassis.

"Someone's impatient tonight," he grumbled making his way to the door.

He pressed a claw to the intercom button, not bothering with the video feed.

"Who is it?"

"House keeping," came the sour response. "With mints for your fragging pillow. It's Wildfire open the fraggen' door you lazy ass son of a bitch I need your damn report."

Zack sighed and lifted a datapad from its place by the door. The femme sure seemed to be in a fine mood tonight. Maybe making the paranoid security director fritz by not checking in and being late was a bad idea. Menial tasks didn't seem to set well with her charming personality of hers. He released the door lock and it slid open.

"Look it's not my fault you fragged off Red and..."

His voice faltered as words failed the Ranger. He stared blankly at the femme. She placed and elegant hand on a gleaming hip and looked up at him from her datapad. She was... sparkling. Honest to Primus, hope to rust, hope Starscream took over the universe, sparkling.

Zack couldn't handle the information. Wildfire didn't sparkle, she didn't take care of herself like that. She when the frag had she crossed over into his tarritory? The femme's head snapped up, her blue optics glaring daggers at him. Her head turned slightly and he was blinded by the brilliant red sheen.

"Have you got the report or not slag for brains?" She snarled.

Her personality sure didn't match her new apperence. Zack handed her the entire pad without even thinking. Wildfire scoffed and took it without a spared glance. She hooked it up to her own and downloaded the files she need. It was shoved back in his chest with a growl.

"You're..." Zack started, but found he couldn't string words together.

"I'm, what?" Wildfire growled, her dark tone betraying her mood better then her words.

"Nothing." Zack said. "You're just, shinny."

Wildfire's optics bored past his visor into his red optics.

"Congratulations, I never thought anyone would take the title of King Captain Obvious from Bluestreak."

"I didn't... you just don't look like this all the time," he stammered.

The femme's face visibly darkened. "Are you trying to say I was ugly before?"

"No," Zack back peddled. "You just look... nicer."

The femme shoved Zack back inside him his room and stomped off down the hall. Zack stuck his head out and watched her leave. Had she always had an aft that nice? Or was it just the wax?

Jess was waiting for her when Wildfire passed the main entrance to The Ark. The human was looking completely pleased with herself as Wildfire deposited her on a shoulder and continued her stomping.

"You look good." Jess grinned and patted the shinny helm.

"I'm being stalked by half the base." Wildfire snapped without preamble. "The only half won't stop staring."

"And this is a bad thing?" Jess asked, getting comfortable.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I don't like it!"

Jess sighed so deeply Wildfire could hear the lecture rattling around her lungs. She cut her off before Jess could launch into whatever she had planned. The femme knocked sharply on the door with a red spray painted "that wax was mine!" scrawled over the door.

"Tracks and Sunny at it again?" Jess asked.

"How the fuck should I know?" Wildfire shot back.

The door wasn't opened promptly and the red femme battered it again with a steel fist.

"Who iiiiis it?" came the sing-song voice of Sideswipe.

"You'll wish it was Unicron if you don't get your asses out here."

"All the more reason not to open up." Sideswipe said, his voice muffled as if he was standing pressed up against the door.

"My weapons can piece this metal and get a good ten feet into your guts." Wildfire snapped back.

"Sides just open the door," Jess shouted, face beaming. "Or we'll bring the full power of Emperor Prowl down on your head!"

"Jessy!" the door flew open. "Long time no see! Where have you..." The red Lamborghini reached forward as if he where going to pluck the human from Wildfire's shoulder, but stopped half way there.

Wildfire's hand shot out in a demanding gesture. "Report, now." She growled.

"What..." Sideswipe started, but he couldn't seem to form sentences any better then Zack had. "Frag."

"While your vocabulary is astounding," the Mustang growled. "I need your brother and your post battle reports so I don't get yelled at again. If you could run along and get those, it would be wonderful if I didn't have the lynch both you glitch heads tonight."

"Sunny!" the taller red bot shouted over his shoulder. "Get out here, you're never going to believe this!"

Wildfire grumbled loudly as the yellow twin came to see what here brother was yelling about.

"What?" the ever charming lambo snarled.

Sideswipe pointed excitedly at femme as Sunstreaker leaned up against the door. The golden optics darkened as he looked her up and down.

"How did you do that?" he growled.

"Just give me your damn reports so I can get the fuck out of here." Wildfire said.

"How did you get your paint to sparkle like that? What did you use?"

"Give me the fucking reports," Wildfire growled, the antenna on her helm slowly leaning back. "Or I will rip them out of your pea sized processors."

"So," Sideswipe said with a grin, leaning against the door frame with a hip cocked. "What are you doing later-"

"Put your foot in your mouth." Wildfire advised. "Or you'll be prying your fist out of it."

"I like em' feisty." Sideswipe grinned.

"I wouldn't say anything more Siders," Jess warned.

"I was just commenting on-"

Sideswipe didn't get a chance to finish. He was shoved, hard, back into the room. Sunstreaker only squawked indignity as the black fingers grabbed at him for purchase. The red Lambo landed flat on his backside with a thud. Wildfire snatched the data pad from its place on the wall and stormed out with it.

"Did I mention I like em feisty?" Sideswipe called after the retreating femme.

Jess grinned. She crossed her legs as the Lambo's door disappeared behind a corner.

"They think your pretty." the human smiled. "You should tap that later."

Wildfire's answer was harsh. "Not even in a hundred billion years."

"Yeah I wouldn't either if I were you. Can robots get syphilis?"

"From those two? Anything's possible."

"So," Jess started, a grin on her pale face. "Anyone else like your new look?"

"No." Wildfire snarled. "You've upset the balance."

"What?"

"The balance." The femme's optics darkened as she stomped pass Bluestreak.

The young mech had stopped in the middle of the hall to stare at her. Wildfire walked around him without a word and didn't glance back when she heard him turn around.

"I was happy being unnoticed. Now you've fucked that up."

"So this is by fault?" Jess asked.

"Yes."

Jess gave the red helmet a smack. It didn't hurt, but Wildfire still jerked away.

"Get over it," the human said. "You're a fucking hottie. These mechs should be kissing your boots just to get your attention. You're a bad ass mother fucker that can snap a mechs spine by just looking at em'! You'll look however you damn well please and if this feeble minded, poor excuse for mechs can't cope, you'll kill them with your awesome. Just one smoldering look from you and-"

"Ok ok," Wildfire laughed. "Enough."

Jess always made her smile, even when she was in the darkest mood. She turned to look at her squishy counter part as she neared the officer's room. Jess beamed back at her.

"When you put it that way, everyone should realize how awesome I am."

"Daaaamn straight!"

Wildfire only shook her head, forcing a frown back on her face as the door to the officer's meeting room opened. She stepped in and, out of habit, noted exits, mechs and anything that could be used offensively in a fight. Jazz and Ironhide were speaking in the far corner, Blaster and Prowl where trading notes, and Red Alert sat away from the others. Wildfire put her head down and walked in, bee-lining for Red Alert.

"Hot damn girl, ya suuure lookin' fine!"

Wildfire cringed as Jazz stopped what he was doing to hoot at her. The other officers optics now all glued to her as she slunk across the room. Her frown no longer had to be forced.

"Heaven's missin' an angel baby! What wax did you use to transform into "divine?" Did it get hot in here or is it just Wildfire?"

Jazz continued his cat calls, and with each one Wildfire shrunk in on herself a little more. Blaster and Ironhide didn't bother hiding their laughter as she walked by them. By the time the femme got to Red Alert at the head of the table, she looked half transformed into a cube. The lamborghini quit shuffling datapads and looked up at the her.

"Yes?" he snapped, as if she'd already said something wrong.

"Reports." Wildfire said, handing them over without looking at the mech. "At a seventeen hundred sharp."

The pads where ripped from her hands. Red Alert didn't even look her in the eye as he waved her away. Wildfire shifted her weight to her other foot and finally looked up.

"I'm I off your shit list yet?"

The CSO's blue optics snapped up.

"Never use language like that in front of an officer ever again!"

Wildfire's jaw creaked as Jess patted the side of her helm.

"Of course." She ground out over the sound of Jazz and Blaster's audio splitting laugh.

"Dismissed!" the high strung mech barked with his characteristic high pitched huff.

The Mustang turn on her heel and fled the room. Blaster joined in with Jazz and they wolf whistled her out. She didn't look back as both mechs broke down into a giggle fit as the door shut behind her.

"That's fucking it," she snarled as Jess opened her mouth. "I'm finding a mud puddle to roll in."

"Do that and I'll kill you." Jess snapped. "I spent two hours cleaning you!"

"I can't take everyone laughing," Wildfire said as she strode through the Ark, heading for the exit. "I can't fucking take it!"

"The shine will wear off in a day or two. Besides, you don't' look that different. You're blowing this all out of proportion."

Wildfire stopped dead in her tracks and Jess had to scramble for a hold to keep from falling falling too the floor.

"Almost got trampled AJ." Wildfire said.

The woman at the Cybertronion's feet was in full military dress blues, flipping through a large stack of paperwork. She quickly glanced up at the large robotic life form before going back to her papers.

"Nice to see you too Wildfire." the Air Force captain said shuffling by. "What have you..."

The woman stopped on a dime and spun around. She looked the frowning femme bot up and down. It was clear something didn't compute for her.

"What the hell-"

Jess flailed her arms madly for her friend's attention. She wildly waved her hand across her throat in a "stop for the love of god don't say anymore!" gesture.

"What... the hell are you doing here?" AJ covered her stutter by flipping through her papers. "I... uh... wasn't expecting to run into you two. You know, because you're always out doing totally normal things. And this is totally normal for yo- us. Yes, everything is normal."

"Just say it." Wildfire's optics darkened.

"Uh... say, what, exactly?" the pilot caught herself staring and looked at Jess.

"Are you honestly trying to play dumb?" Wildfire asked. "With me? Me of all bots?"

AJ glanced at the blue optics and then back to Jess who wildly shook her head up and down.

"I... don't know what your talking about Wildfire." AJ tried to chuckle. "What would I have to play dumb-"

Wildfire held up a hand. "Just stop. This is sad. You're an even more horrible lair then Tek."

"Well, do you seem a little, shinnyer then usual..."

"That's it!" the femme snapped.

Jess was lifted from the massive shoulder and placed on the floor beside the captain. Wildfire stood back up and stepped over them, her heels clicking on the metal.

"Please tell me you have some kind of idea what that was all about?" AJ asked, "I don't even know what to be confused about first."

"She's pretty." Jess huffed crossing her arms. "And she doesn't like it."


	28. Art of the Piano

Jess strolled by Tek's quarters, humming to herself when another tune made her stop. She turned, quizzical look on her face, and stared at the door. There was something familiar about that melody, but it was impossible tell with the notes muffled as they were. She rapped her knuckles on the bright orange steel. The music stopped and the door opened.

"Hello?"

Jess smiled as the big blue mech looked up and down the hall. She would've paid to see the look on his face.

"Down here," she called up at him. Tek's blue optics brightened when he found her.

"Ms. Penderson?"

"Jess," she corrected.

"Jess," Tek corrected himself. "What brings you here?"

"I wanted to hang out," Jess said with a smile. "Can I come in?"

Tek took a step back and ushered her through the doorway. "Of course Miss Jess."

Jess had never set foot in the Corvette's quarters before. It was just as sparse and unfurnished as Wildfire's. There is one large difference between the siblings rooms, Tek had a giant desk like something sitting smack-dab in the middle of the floor.

"Hey what's this?" Jess asked, circling around the something, looking for a way to climb it. She'd become an excellent climber since meeting giant alien robots.

"This is an experiment of mine," Tek said, standing off to the side watching her.

Jess looked over her shoulder, not sure if Tek was keeping something from her, or whether she had to be super specific with him to get the "right" answer. "I meant, what exactly is it?"

"Would you like a hand?" Tek asked instead of answering.

"Heck yeah. I thought you'd never ask."

The Autobot knelt and offered his palm to her. Jess a stepped on and held on to his thumb as she was lifted. Hopping off, she explored the top of the something. What she thought at first was a desk, was actually slimmer and longer than a standard robot desk. It was skinnier and one end was cut off into a kind of small shelf.

"If I didn't know any better," Jess said, sitting down above the odd shelf. "I'd say this is some kind piano."

"Oh?" Tek's voice was flat even when uttering a word of surprise. "So it does resemble the instrument then?"

The corvette rolled his chair over to the Cybertronian "piano" and sat. Jess was nearly eye to optic level with him.

"What do you need a "piano" for Tek?" she asked. "Don't you have something way better than this back home on Cybertron?"

"Different," Tek said. "Not better. Don't confuse the two. Humans are quite remarkable."

"Alright alright, want would you need with a quote: different Earth piano?"

"I'm trying to re-create the instrument."

Jess tapped her knuckles on the piano. A dull, metallic ringing filled the air. "Pianos are made of wood."

"I am aware." Tek said, his door wings sagging just a little bit. "The amount of lumber required to construct the frame alone at my height would be 2.3 acres of trees. Your Earth suffers from crippling climate change, I need not add to its burden."

Jess smiled. "That's a lot of words to say 'not enough trees.'"

Tech cocked his head and one doorwing rose slightly higher than the other. "That's not what I said at all."

"Figure speech," Jess said. "With a joke as paraphrasing."

"Oh." Tek's wings straightened themselves. "Even with… not enough trees. I've run into a great many problems. The strings alone would take hundreds of hours to create martial size proportional with the same tone properties. It's simply not realistic to proceed with the design."

"So in short, you're giving up?" Jess asked. But I thought I heard music in here?"

"It was unrealistic to proceed the design in the Earth style. I made some modifications with the materials I have at hand."

Tek touched the shelf below Jess's dangling feet, beneath his fingertips glowing lights came to life. Jess gasped as notes filled the air.

"Woah." Just smiled. "Tek this is awesome! It sounds just like it."

"It does?" Tek put his other hand light keys and played a few more notes. "I've been struggling with the acoustics for some time now. I very much appreciate your input."

"Can you play?" Jess asked folding her legs under her.

"I can but..." He paused. "But I've never had an audience before."

"Awesome!" Jess smiled and looked at Tek expectantly.

The blue bot doorwings fluttered and he turned his face away. If Jess didn't know any better, she'd think her quiet, stoic Tek was embarrassed.

"I have not learned many songs."

"Play what you know," Jess said. "I can't play for crap so will I know if you mess up?"

"As you wish."

Tek's wings lowered as he bowed his head and began playing. Jess's face scrunched up as a familiar tune flowed expertly around her. It couldn't be what she was thinking, this was Tek after all. The Corvette played on with perfect harmony. Jess's smile grew wider. She knew this song. The keys beneath Tek's fingers glowed brightly, pulsing like a heartbeat to the tune as he struck them. Jess was just about to sing the lyrics when Tek quieted the melody almost too soft hear.

"Well? How did it sound?"

Jess beamed, ready to explode in laughter. She kept a straight face and stood. "Well," she started. "It needs to be about 20% cooler."

The song abruptly stopped. Tek's expressed change from stoic non-emotion to shock. "Y-You know?"

Jess nodded. "I know."

The blue bot's fingers tapped at the keys again, picking the song back up. "Would you be adverse to... not mentioning this to Wildfire?"

"Our little secret," Jess said. "If you tell me how you found out about the show."

Tek's wings flicked and rose high on his back. "I was... exploring the Information Super Highway. I noised a pattern that seemed to be cropping up on a vast percentage of message boards and web sights. My intention was simply to find the source material, but I became interested when I found it." His optics paled. "You won't tell Zack either will you?"

"Pinky Pie Promise," Jess said, putting a hand over her heart. "Can you play more?"

Tek nodded. A small, almost-smile played at his lips. "Would you like to accompany me when viewing the new source material?"

Jess smirked. "Of course. I'll get you into human pop-culture yet."


End file.
